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Children's experiences following a CBT intervention to reduce dental anxiety: one year on
1School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Claremont Crescent, Sheffield, S10 2TA.
Insights
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) significantly reduces children's dental anxiety long-term. Children successfully applied learned strategies, improving their dental care experiences and reducing worries.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Child Psychology
- Behavioral Therapy
Background:
- Dental anxiety is a significant issue for children, impacting oral health.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based intervention for anxiety.
- Longitudinal data on CBT effectiveness for pediatric dental anxiety is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess children's long-term experiences with dental care after CBT.
- To evaluate the sustained use of anxiety management strategies learned during CBT.
- To understand the impact of CBT on children's ongoing dental attendance and procedures.
Main Methods:
- A postal questionnaire was administered to children aged 10-17 years.
- Participants had previously undergone a guided CBT self-help intervention for dental anxiety.
- Questionnaires were sent 12-18 months post-intervention to assess dental attendance and strategy use.
Main Results:
- 50% of children (22/44) responded, with 82% accessing general dental care post-intervention.
- Over half of those accessing care underwent procedures beyond routine check-ups.
- 91% reported reduced dental visit worry and improved anxiety management through cognitive, behavioral, and emotional changes.
Conclusions:
- CBT demonstrates positive immediate and long-term effects in reducing pediatric dental anxiety.
- Children effectively utilize learned CBT strategies for managing dental anxiety in real-world settings.
- Integrating this evidence-based CBT approach into primary dental care remains a key challenge.
Objective:
To investigate children's ongoing experiences of dental care and use of strategies to manage their dental anxiety following cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Design:
A child self-completed postal questionnaire.
Settings:
Hospital, community and general dental practice.
Subjects:
Questionnaires were sent to 44 children, aged 10–17 years who had been referred to specialist services due to their dental anxiety.
Intervention:
Children had all previously received a guided CBT self-help intervention to reduce their dental anxiety and, on completion of treatment, had been discharged to their referring dentist. Questionnaires were sent out 12–18 months later to ascertain dental attendance patterns and application of any strategies learnt from the previous CBT intervention.
Results:
22 responses (50%) were received from 16 girls and six boys. Eighty-two percent had subsequently accessed follow-up care with a general dental practitioner and over half of these had undergone a dental procedure, other than a check-up. Ninety-one percent reported feeling less worried about dental visits, than previously, and described a change in cognition, behaviours, and feelings that allowed them to manage their anxiety better.
Conclusions:
CBT has positive immediate and longitudinal effects in reducing children's dental anxiety. The challenge of adopting this evidence-based approach within primary care settings remains.