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Summary
Dental anxiety is high, especially for specific procedures, with anticipated pain being the main cause. Minimizing pain expectations and experience may help reduce dental fear in patients.
Area of Science:
- Dental medicine
- Psychology
Background:
- Dental anxiety is a significant issue affecting patient care.
- Understanding patient experiences is crucial for improving dental treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore patient experiences and reasons for dental anxiety.
- To identify common fears associated with dental procedures.
Main Methods:
- Interviews conducted with patients at a London dental hospital and a suburban general practice.
- Exploration of anxiety levels and reasons for fear related to dental treatment.
Main Results:
- High levels of dental anxiety were reported by patients.
- Anticipated pain was the most frequently cited reason for dental fear.
- A correlation was found between anxiety levels and expected pain for various procedures.
Conclusions:
- Anticipated pain is a primary driver of dental anxiety.
- Strategies focusing on minimizing pain expectations and experience could mitigate dental fear.
- Further research into pain management techniques for dental anxiety is warranted.