Dental Phobia and its

Impact on Quality of
Life
Jessica Farmer
Independent Study Mentorship- Fall 2018
Mrs. Click
Disclaimer
• Please note that some of the information used
in this presentation is from outside sources
My Mentor
Dr. McGregor DDS is a dentist
who owns and works at Bacliff
Dental which is located in Bacliff,
Texas.
All About ISM

• Independent Study Mentorship is a

course offered at Clear Springs High
School.
• Students are expected to meet with a
mentor in a chosen career three hours a
week, complete an online portfolio, and
create a final product and presentation
each semester.
• https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/Clear_Creek_ISD_Logo.jpg
Project Topic
• My project topic is Dental Phobia and its Impact on Quality of Life
• I will discuss the causes and effects of dental phobia as well as
inform doctors about this public health issue and equip them with
skills to care for such patients.
• Seeing patients who were initially nervous about going to the
dentist but then becoming more comfortable as they were being
treated inspired this topic to be my semester project.
Key Points
1. What is dental phobia?
2. What causes dental phobia?
3. How does dental phobia detract from quality of life?
4. How dentists can help patients who suffer from dental phobia?
5. How can a dental office comfort those with dental phobia?
 What is Dental Phobia?
• Dental Phobia is a severe type of dental anxiety where
patients have an intense fear of either discernable
situations such as local anesthetic injections and drilling
or the dental environment in general.
• This universal phenomenon causes 9%- 20% of
Americans to avoid dental care. (Cleveland clinic)
• The phobia may be prevalent in young children,
adolescents and adults.
• Unfortunately, most people with dental phobia are aware Newton, J.T. “How to Control Dental Anxiety in Patients.” Junior Dentist,
they have an irrational fear but are unable to make a 2018, www.juniordentist.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/How-to-
control-Dental-Anxiety-in-patients.jpg.
change.
• It is a form of ‘anticipatory anxiety’ (an anticipated
unknown danger)
 What Causes Dental Phobia?
Dental phobia may stem from a past trauma or other fears and emotions such as…

• Fear of pain: this is a common reason for some to avoid dental treatment. The fear
usually derives from a past painful experience at the dentist or from “horror”
stories they’ve heard.
• Loss of personal space/Embarrassment: Some patients can be self-conscious about
their teeth's appearance or odor and may feel uncomfortable with a dentist or
hygienist working in their mouth.
• Fear of injection: This could stem from a fear of needles or the patient may think
that the anesthesia will not work and therefor bring pain.
• Loss of control or helplessness: It is easy for patients who suffer from dental
phobia to feel that they have no control during a procedure especially is they
have had a traumatic experience before.
 How Does Dental Phobia Detract from Quality of
Life?
Psychologically Socially Physically Occupationally Financially

The decay and Because their self- When people avoid Performance at work Because it can be
missing teeth that are esteem is dental treatment is affected due to difficult to obtain
caused by avoidance impacted, due to anxiety, their feelings of low self- a job or work
behavior has negative personal oral health becomes esteem and effectively in it,
impacts on a patient's relationships are jeopardized. confidence. finances may be
self-esteem. negatively slim.
affected.
Cycle of Dental
Anxiety
Poor oral health status and
avoidance behavior relate to
dental anxiety.

The vicious cycle of dental anxiety of Berggren [48,49]

How Can Dentists Help Patients Who Suffer from
Dental Phobia?
In order to help patients, we must recognize the signs.

Signs of dental phobia:

- Sweating
- Racing heartbeat
- Possible fainting and low blood pressure
- Obvious distress (crying, panic)
- Using humor or aggression to hide anxiety
- Difficulty sleeping and tension the night before the
appointment
- Increased nervousness while in waiting room
- Seeing or hearing anything pertaining to dentistry causes
great anxiety
 How Can Dentists Help Patients Who Suffer from
Dental Phobia? Cont.
• Offer pretreatment appointments
- This allows the patient to adjust to the dental environment and may relieve some initial fears and perceptions about
the dentist.
• Distraction techniques
- TV, music
• Establish a signal patients can use when they feel uncomfortable or pain
- Raising a hand
• Emphasize professionalism
- make sure the patient knows that you are coming from a professional place and solely want to help them and their
teeth. This is especially important for those self-conscious about their teeth.
• Ask the patient!
- This lets them know you care about their comfort and gives you key information to help them (hiding the needle)
 How Can a Dental Office Comfort Those with
Dental Phobia?
• Natural lighting
-Healthline suggests that anxiety and panic attacks correlates
with changing seasons. (Lighter = Decrease in anxiety)

• Calming scents
- the smell of lavender is proven to decrease stress

• The color blue is associated with calmness

• Distraction techniques such as a television, music, or even a

fish tank

• Soothing wall art and degrees (assures the patient that you are
qualified for the job)
 Product
• I have created a model of a dentist office that has
characteristics that may soothe a patient's dental
phobia.
• These characteristics include:
- natural lighting
- a TV visible from the chair
- posters and degrees on the walls and others discussed
in the previous slide.
 Current Event

• Dr. Linda Jones, a lecturer of health psychology, was given the 39th
annual Society for Stress and Anxiety award. One of her greatest
achievements have been her development of the app meant to
reduce a child's nerves, ‘Dental Jungle’.
• This was a 20-question survey for pediatric patients to take before
their appointment.
• The survey asks how they are feeling, what they are afraid of, and
how to help them
• She found that the survey decreased patient anxiety and gave
doctors important information about their patients.
University, Massey. “International Award for Dental Anxiety Researcher.” Massey News, 2018,
www.massey.ac.nz/massey/about-massey/news/article.cfm?mnarticle_uuid=4180B665-9A7B-
4379-BB87-11936AF6F210.
Check for GrammarCheck for Plagiarism
Artifacts from Mentorship
Conclusion

• Through research and mentorship I have learned so

much about patient comfort and interaction as well as
how a dental office operates. I will be forever thankful
for the experiences I have gained at mentorship and
cherish the knowledge the staff at Bacliff dental has
given me.
Thank You!
I want to say thank you to my family for supporting me as well as Mrs.
Click, Dr. McGregor, and the rest of the staff at Bacliff Dental
for giving me this opportunity to learn and grow!
Works Cited
• MD, Web. “Easing Dental Fear in Adults.” WebMD, WebMD, 2018,
www.webmd.com/oral-health/easing-dental-fear-adults#1.
• Cleveland , Clinic. “Easing Dental Phobia I Cleveland Clinic.” Cleveland Clinic,
2018, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11176-dental-phobia-in-adults.
• Clay, Rebecca. “Drilling down on Dental Fears.” American Psychological
Association, American Psychological Association, 2016,
www.apa.org/monitor/2016/03/dental-fears.aspx.
• Goldberg, Stephen. “8 Ways to Take the Fear Away from Dental-Phobic Patients.”
DentistryIQ, 4 Sept. 2012, www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2012/09/8-ways-to-take-
the-fear-away-from-dental-phobic-patients.html.