BSD

Question 1

Negative reinforcement?

Dental scenario?

Answer 1

Behaviour is followed by the cessation of an unwanted experience
An anxious patient calling to cancel an appointment and immediately feeling relaxed

Question 2

3 factors of COM-B model

How can they act as barriers to encourage obese people to exercise more?

Answer 2

Capability
Opportunity
Motivation

Capability - They may not know what kind of exercises to do, how to exercise within their limits, low self-efficacy
Opportunity - May be working long hours, busy parents, no time for exercise, may not be able to afford gym classes/transport, family may be unsupportive
Motivation - They may feel self conscious whilst exercising, if this is how they have been Brough up they may not see any benefit from changing, may not understand the risks of obesity

Question 3

Lucy is a 5-year old girl who comes onto your clinic with her father. This is the first time she has been to the dentist. She is terrified because she has overheard her dad about his traumatic dental experiences to her mum.
a. Name the
psychological principle responsible for Lucy’s dental fear
b) explain why the biopsychosocial model is more appropriate than medical model of care?

Answer 3

a) vicarious learning
b) Lucy’s issue is not biological, medical model of care is purely symptom driven and provides treatment for the symptoms. Biosychosocial model will deal with he emotional, anxious factors that will be barrier to treatment

Question 4

2 most common causes of dental fear?

Answer 4

Conditioned - through personal experience resulting in a bad outcome, linking into powerlessness
Vicarious - learning from other peoples experiences e.g. parents, siblings

Question 5

How can specific phobias be treated?

Answer 5

Systemic exposure:
Start by teaching relaxation techniques to patient
Construct a hierarchy from least to most feared situation and work from the bottom until the patient can tolerate it

Question 6

Non-drug methods of treating dental pain? (6)

Answer 6

Anxious patients have a much lower pain threshold
Treating anxiety can decrease pain
- Be friendly
- Be calm
- Briefly explain what you are doing and ask the patient how much they would like to be informed of the procedure
- Agree on a stop signal
- Distraction strategies (music, talking)
- Supporting staff could give support during treatment

Question 7

Vicious cycle of dental fear

Answer 7

Dental fear/anxiety causes delayed visiting, leading to dental problems, leading to symptom driven treatment in which they are already emotional and anxious (lower pain threshold) leading to more dental fear