Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

A Standardized Approach to Extra-Oral and Intra-Oral Digital Photography
Published on: July 22, 2022
Clinical characteristics of somatization in dental practice
1Department of Social Dentistry and Dental Health Education, Academic Centre for Dentistry-Amsterdam, Louwesweg 1, 1066 EA Amsterdam, The Netherlands. info@psycho-trauma.nl
Objectives:
This study was a first attempt to derive an estimate of the likely incidence of somatization-specific behaviour in a dental setting and its relationship with both somatic symptoms and symptoms of depression.
Methods:
Somatization-specific behaviour was operationalized as reporting of inexplicable dental symptoms (eg pain), remarkable frequent attendance at a dental surgery, inexplicably high treatment use or unreasonable requests with regard to treatment.
Results:
Of the 309 patients surveyed, 8.7%o fulfilled one or more of the criteria for somatization-specific behaviour. This was particularly manifested by a high attendance rate (6.8%). Women exhibited somatization-specific behaviour significantly more often (73%) than men (27%9). Support was found for the hypothesis that individuals exhibiting characteristics of somatization-specific behaviour would present themselves to dentists more often with dental complaints and would suffer more from symptoms of depression than patients that did not display these characteristics.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that somatization is a factor in dental practice.
Related Concept Videos
Classification of Illness
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...
Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Oral
Weaning, typically occurring around the age...
Social Anxiety Disorder
Bulimia Nervosa
Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...

