Psychotherapeutic strategies to reduce dental phobia

Abstract

Dental phobia should be considered a social challenge, as it is a dental public health problem, since about 5-15% of the adult population globally report severe dental anxiety or dental phobia. Dental phobia has severe consequences for both dental and general health, interfering with the professional and social functioning of people with dental phobia. Therefore, timely and effective management of dental phobia is essential for improving oral health and quality of life for people with dental phobia. In this article, different strategies and techniques for alleviating dental phobia are presented through three therapeutic approaches: the cognitive-behavioural approach, the psychoanalytic approach and the experiential approach.