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Reducing patients' state anxiety in general dental practice: a randomized controlled trial
Y-M Dailey1, G M Humphris, M A Lennon
1Department of Clinical Dental Sciences, The University of Liverpool, School of Dentistry, Liverpool, L69 3GN UK. Y.M.Dailey@liverpool.ac.uk
Journal of Dental Research
|July 5, 2002
Summary
Informing dentists about patient dental anxiety before treatment significantly reduces patient state anxiety. This proactive approach benefits patients by lowering anxiety levels during dental procedures.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Dental Medicine
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Dental anxiety is a common issue affecting patient experience and treatment adherence.
- Questionnaire-based anxiety assessments can inform dentists and potentially benefit patients psychologically.
- Previous research suggests a link between patient anxiety and dental treatment outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if informing dentists about patients' high dental anxiety (using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale - MDAS) reduces patients' state anxiety.
- To evaluate the impact of pre-treatment anxiety information on patient psychological well-being.
- To assess the effectiveness of a dentist-informed anxiety assessment protocol.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 119 patients and 8 General Dental Practitioners.
- Patients scoring high on the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) were included.
- Patients were randomly assigned to an intervention group (dentist informed of MDAS score) or a control group (dentist not informed).
- State anxiety was measured using Spielberger's state anxiety inventory (STAI-S) pre- and post-treatment.
Main Results:
- Patients in the intervention group showed a significantly greater reduction in mean state anxiety scores compared to the control group (F[1,119] = 8.74, P < 0.0001).
- Providing dentists with pre-treatment information about high dental anxiety levels led to a measurable decrease in patient state anxiety.
- The study demonstrated a statistically significant anxiolytic effect of informing the dental team.
Conclusions:
- Informing dentists about patients' high dental anxiety prior to treatment effectively reduces patient state anxiety.
- Involving patients in the anxiety assessment process enhances the psychological benefit.
- This strategy represents a practical method to improve patient comfort and psychological state in dental settings.