Techniques For Alleviating Dental Anxiety, Fear, And Phobias

Dentistry has always been on my mind ever since I watched the Pixar film, “Finding Nemo.” Finding Nemo was the first time I ever witnessed a dentist in action, and although it was quite traumatizing because of how the patient was screaming in the chair and how Pixar decided to use a little girl, who wore an intimidating style of braces and hurt fishes on her free time, as one of the antagonists in the film, I was curious to know what was happening in that chair that the director did not want the audience to see. Despite this, the combination of these negative portrayals in Finding Nemo did not make a dental office my most favourite place in the world; however, my opinion soon changed when I met my first dentist, Dr. Le.

When I was about 5-years-old, I was the only one in my Kindergarten class that was not frightened of the dentist. I was the only child for as long as I can remember who absolutely adored going to see my dentist; I thought it was better than going to the Science Center, which was a big deal for a child in my generation. Growing up, I watched people’s faces twitch with (terror, panic, dismay) as I explained that it was my ultimate dream to become a dental hygienist. “What if a child bites you?” “The human mouth is disgusting! Do you not realize the horror of this occupation?” Listening to people question and insult my dreams only enhanced my dedication to this occupation even more. I was determined to prove them wrong; to prove that this was

Over 130 million Americans do not have dental insurance. On top of that, almost a million emergency room visits last year resulted from preventable oral conditions. Many Americans today are unaware of how the condition of their dentition affects their overall health. Socioeconomic limitations, the lack of dental education in parents, eating habits, and simply the availability of dentists plays a key role in the state of children’s oral health; implementing a universal dental care program will help lower the barriers that many people face when it comes to receiving the dental care they need. The program will target high-risk individuals who are prone to dental caries and provide them with standard

Dental sealants are used to fill pits and fissures on the occlusal, or chewing, surfaces of the premolars and molars to help protect them from carious lesions and tooth decay (“Dental Sealants”, 2016). Posterior teeth that are selected for placement of sealants are either newly erupted, when occlusal surface is deep and irregular, and have a history of dental caries (Wilkins, 621). So it is very important, especially for children, to get sealants placed as soon as their molars erupt in order to lower their risk for childhood caries. However, there are many factors that have caused children to be withheld from radiographic screenings and treatment; one major factor is parents not being able to afford the treatment. But, one thing that has helped many children get sealants placed is a school sealant programs; funded by the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC has supported for the placement of sealants along with other oral health care activities in many states, including South Carolina. In South Carolina, school sealants programs have been helping save high caries risk teeth since

Disparities in pediatric oral health care have been a growing issue world wide, but more importantly in the state of North Carolina. In order to improve oral health in children in lower income areas, there is a need to lower the cost of dental care, educate parents on preventative care, and build more clinics in local areas. There are many factors that contribute to the improvement of pediatric oral health, with a plethora of committed dentists and a local community determined to improve the overall health of the most vulnerable citizens in our society. As a community we have collectively designed effective solutions to address this established health disparity, which ultimately affects the oral health of every child in Orange County, NC.

Dental Hygiene is very important to me and has been since I was a child, this has influenced my desire of becoming a pediatric dentist. In a personal interview i conducted with Dr.Bills she informed me of this, “Dental Hygiene is emphasized by all dentists, we want our patients to have elegant white teeth and pleasant breath”(Bills). I would like to teach children the importance of keeping their teeth brushed so that they will have a beautiful smile and healthy teeth. Pediatric Dentistry is a superb fit for me because I care about dental health and I want children to know the importance as well. It is never too early for children to learn how important dental hygiene is.

Anxiety can be a very serious (disease/disorder) it is simply defined as an abnormal fear or tension which can occur without any obvious trigger or session; a recurrence, unwelcome and intrusive thought. Anxiety can also be defined as a subjective state of fear or tension. There are two types of anxiety, anxiety can provide signals that alert the body to trigger it to improve mental and physical performance

Fear of the dentist is more common today than most people would imagine. You’re probably very familiar with individuals fearing the dentist, especially if you work or have worked in the dental field. So, what is dental fear? Is it an idea that our parents put in our heads because it was passed down to them from their parents? Is it an emotion that is formed based on images shaped in the mind about going to the dentist? Dental anxiety is abnormal fear or dread of visiting the dentist for preventative care or therapy and unwarranted anxiety over dental procedure. (U.S National Library of Medicine, N.D.) Patients who experience dental anxiety will have a sense of nervousness and unfounded worries or fears. “Some studies have concluded that 75% of people have at least some fear about dental visits.” (Penn Dental, May. 15, 2017.) Dental phobia is a more serious condition. It's an intense fear or dread. “People with dental phobia aren't merely anxious, they are terrified or panic stricken.” (Colgate, September 18, 2013.) Many people with dental phobia typically avoid the dentist unless they have pain and only find it necessary to seek treatment. Negative experiences in childhood are the most common causes of dental fear. So, what can we do to rationalize with our patients? Educate!

This is a condition that causes about 20% of people to avoid Dental appointments until completely necessary (Sine). This is caused by the same reasons as anxiety, some people just have a worse response to some things. Having dental phobia can cause patients to lose sleep before dental treatment and ultimately not show up for their appointments (Colgate). By these patients putting off treatment they put themselves at a higher risk of developing gum disease and early tooth loss (Colgate). Studies have been done to prove that gum disease, if left untreated can cause systemic issues (Sine). By having uncontrolled dental phobia it is putting their overall health in

For the workplace project, I decided to do my own worksite. Archstone Dental is a general family practice. The patients that typically visit the office range from six months of age up to the elderly. The practice has been offering dental services to the community for nine years. As a registered dental assistant, my purpose is to help patients feel comfortable before, during and after dental treatment. When going around the worksite there were many obvious risks as well as unseen risks. The findings included exposures to x-ray radiation, allergic reactions, musculoskeletal disorder, infectious hazards, trips, slips and falls, anesthetic gasses, burns and scalds from autoclave, eye injury, hearing loss, toxicity from sterilization methods, carpal

What is Anxiety? As defined by Understanding Psychology by Glencoe, Anxiety is a general state of dread or uneasiness that a person feels in response to a real or imagined danger. Anxiety affects 19 million Americans annually and anxiety disorder happens to be the most common mental illness in America. There are many different types of anxiety disorder such as: Panic Disorder, Obsessive – Compulsion Disorder, Phobias, and a few more. Although there is no cure for anxiety disorders, there are treatments to reduce symptoms.

Most parents know how important it is for their children to be seen regularly by a pediatrician but many don’t know that regular checkups by a pediatric dentist are just as vital to their children’s overall health. According to a report by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, by the age of 3, 5-10 % of U.S. children have oral health issues and by the age of 5, 60% will have had dental caries (decay) at some point in their lives. These statistics mean that most U.S. children will likely suffer from a variety of residual problems caused by early tooth decay.

The very thought of going to the dentist sends chills up the spine for many people. One common reason for dental anxiety is the fear of needles. People who have an extreme phobia of needles, and shots, often avoid getting dental work done because the most used method for numbing the mouth involves an injection with a needle, but a new inhalable anesthetic may offer new hope to those who are avoiding the

Visit to a dental operatory can noticeably mete out primal feelings of anxiety or fear in an apprehensive Child. Prevalence of child dental anxiety has been estimated to range anywhere from 3% to 20% 1. Such kind of foreseeable emotional response may lead to compromised quality of care rendered, and it should come as no surprise that the dental clinic is a place many children would like to avoid.2,3

Dental phobia, or the fear of visiting the dentist, is more common than you might think. It is estimated that around 12% of the British population experience extreme fear when visiting the dentist; while 25% of us will experience some sort of anxiety at the prospect of a trip to the local dental surgery.