Over view and measurement of dental anxiety Flashcards
What are the GDC guidelines regarding dental anxiety?
Dentist have a duty to provide and patients have a right to expect adequate and appropriate pain and anxiety control
Give examples of pharmacological methods of pain and anxiety management
- LA
2. Conscious sedation techniques
Briefly talk through the dental anxiety cycle that patients may suffer from
- Patient feels fearful and is anxious
- This leads to them avoiding dental care
- Deterioration of dentition
- Feelings of guilt, shame and inferiority
What does trait anxiety refer to?
Refers to a persons inbuilt tendency to feeling anxious in their everyday life
What does state anxiety refer to?
State anxiety is more specific and related to certain objects of situations and seems not to occur outside of these
What is the difference between anxiety and fear?
Anxiety is a more emotional experience
What is a phobia?
Phobia is fear which completely overwhelms a person and has been defines as a psychiatric illness
Give some characteristic features of a phobia
- Fear of a situation that is out of all promotion to the danger
- Cannot be explained or reasoned away
- Largely beyond voluntary control
- Leads to avoidance of the feared situation
- Avoidance, distress and/or anticipatory anxiety interfere with life
How many people, according to the adult dental health surgery, are nervous of dental treatment
64% of dentate adults are somewhat or definitely nervous of dental treatment
How many people, according to the adult dental health surgery, are nervous of visiting the dentist
49%
State three factors that contribute to the aetiology of dental anxiety
- Biological factors
- Psychological factors
- Social factors
Give examples of biological factors that may cause dental anxiety
Possibly genetics (however a lot of debates surrounding this)
Which scientist argues that dental phobia is genetic and why?
Steven pinker argues that phobias are inbuilt and come from out evolutionary past
Give examples of social factors that may cause dental anxiety
- Children may pick up dental anxiety from their parents, siblings or friends
- Gender roles
- Social class
Is dental anxiety more apparent in men or women?
Women
43% women vs 55% men
Why might studies have shown that women are more dentally anxious than men?
- Women are more prepared to admit they are anxious
2. Women are more prepared to go to the dentist despite their anxiety
What do patients expect from their dentist?
- Communication
What can affect the quality of the patient dentist relationship?
Previous negative experiences
What is essential to building a good patient dentist relationship?
Taking a patients feelings seriously and not belittling them
How do patients evaluate their dentists?
- They look at the dentists attitudes and behaviour
- They look at the dentist approach to pain control and the reduction of anxiety
- They evaluate the dentist’s ability to solve their dental problems
- Look at staff attunes and behaviour
- Cost factors
- Physical cues
Which dental Treatments do most patients fear?
- Extractions
- Drilling
- Injections
What is essential for good anxiety control?
Good pain control
Why might dental phobic patients complain of more pain than non phobic patients?
- They may have a lower pain threshold
2. Their anxiety state may contribute to pain perception
How can we recognise dental anxiety?
Patient may:
- Not enter the room
- Be uncommunicative
- Be over talkative
- Look distracted
- Be uncooperative
- Be aggressive
- Sweat or shake
- Be pale and hyperventilate
