Strategies for Combating Dental Anxiety

Abstract

Dental anxiety and subsequent avoidance of dental care and deterioration of oral health pose a significant problem for the dental profession. In an attempt to elucidate preferences of anxious dental patients, we gathered survey data from 121 persons at a small, private liberal arts college in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Half of the respondents experienced dental anxiety, and most of these (66 percent) attributed anxiety to fear of anticipated pain. The majority of anxious patients preferred a dentist to be friendly (93 percent), talkative (82 percent), and to have an office with adorned walls (89 percent) and a slightly cool temperature (63 percent). Patients who identified themselves as anxious also indicated that music in the background (89 percent) and magazines and books in the dental office (75 percent) were helpful. Anxious patients were more likely than nonanxious patients to prefer a male dentist (77 percent versus 52 percent). This finding was especially marked among anxious male respondents, 93 percent of whom preferred a male dentist compared to 73 percent of anxious female respondents. These survey data may assist dental professionals in understanding and combating patients' dental anxiety, in order to increase the frequency of dental visits and to prompt a corresponding restoration or maintenance of oral health.Ms.

Patient Preferences in Selecting a Dentist: Survey Results from the Urban Population of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“…Furthermore, with respect to different specialties within dentistry, participants expressed a preference for male dentists regard-less of their own gender, except for pediatric dentists, a finding that is also consistent with previous studies. 13,18,19 This could be attributed to the female practitioners having greater empathy traits, such as more humanness, compassion, communication through nonverbal cues, caring, patience and an expressive attitude towards patients. 17,20 The preference for a male dentist might be due to various factors, such as the sense of more competency in male compared with female practitioners or the general notion of male dentists as more career-oriented and professional than their female counterparts.…”

The Introduction of Reformation of Liberal Arts Education for Dental Students: A Case Example of Health Sciences University of Hokkaido

“…They said that liberal arts graduates were more interested in the practice of psychiatry than their classmates from comprehensive universities because psychiatrists must understand the biological, psychological, and social components of illness, they treat the "whole person" assisting in the adaptation of individuals coping with stress, crises, and other problems (Stratton, Elam, & McGrath, 2003, p. 61). Since the majority of patients likely prefer a dentist to be friendly and talkative (Bare & Dundes, 2004, p. 1174, communication skills is one of the key elements. With regard to the above, it can be concluded that in the United States, liberal arts and general education, unlike in Japan, have a clear vision what attributes students need and what training they should take to achieve them during school years.…”

Dental Patients;

“…4 There are multifactorial aetiology of dental anxiety occurrence such as watching dental instruments, surrounding noise the two most anxiety arousing being the injection and the drill sound. 5 Typically dental anxiety is accompanied by physiological and psychological responses such as increased heart rate, increase blood pressure, altered respiration rate, sweating, trembling, feelings of coming danger and tension. The dentist's attitude and manner and the dental environment also play a vital part in dental anxiety.…”

“…Besides that, there is an important notion that has emerged from the past and has also received tremendous importance in present in different domains of medicine is music. 5,6 Dental anxiety is manageable. For the dental practitioner, it is important to know that dental apprehension is a continuum ranging from mild to more severe form rather than a yes and no process.…”