PMHP- Dental fear and anxiety

Question 1

Compare dental phobia/ anxiety and fear

Answer 1

Dental fear is emotional response to the stimuli in the dentist

Dental anxiety is apprehension that something bad is going to happen in the dentist

Dental phobia is severe anxiety of anything dentist related to the extent they avoid it.

Question 2

How can we asess dental anxiety?

Answer 2

Using patient questionaires

Question 3

What causes dental fear and anxiety?

Answer 3

Conditioning- negative dental experiences

Modelling- the influence of family and peers

Information - being given incorrect or frightening information.

Expectation of pain and discomfort.

Question 4

Compare different anxiety questionaire types?

Answer 4

MDA- rates feelings about a scenario from 1-5 any 5/5 is a phobia

Picture test- ask children to point to the picture that describes how they are feeling.

CEDAM- Asks the children if they would complete these actions (Would they let the dentist look in their mouth etc)

Question 5

How is dental anxiety managed?

Answer 5

Explain to the patient what is going to happen in the appointment.

Illusion of the patient being in control (stop/rest/proceed signals)

Coping strategies (Relaxation and distraction)

Pharmacological control (sedation)