Thesis (Ph. D.)--Case Western Reserve University, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D.P.H.)--University of Pittsburgh, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

No description available.

Background: More than 10% of UK adults suffer extreme dental anxiety. Effective verbal and non-verbal communication (VNVC) in the dental dyad following handover of a completed Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) had been hypothesised to reduce dental state anxiety. This study aims to consider whether: (1) ‘MDAS completion and handover effects long term dental trait anxiety, and (2) ‘what VNVC elements influence patient anxiety reduction?’ Trial Design: Mixed methods: (i) a randomised cross-over study and (ii) an observational study. Methods: Six NHS Highland Salaried Dental Practices were randomised to start either with the experimental arm, where dentally anxious patients (MDAS score = 19 or 5 in any one question) complete and handover MDAS to the dentist, or the control arm where no handover occurred. Within the observational study, all participants had their dental treatment appointment videoed. The primary outcome was dental trait anxiety as measured by MDAS, pre-treatment and at 3 month follow-up. Secondary outcome was dental state anxiety, measured pre and post treatment using both the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and Heart rate.The observational study analysed the first 2 minutes of video and related this data to the behavioural and affective outcomes. Results: 54 patients agreed to take part in the study with 47 completing 3 month follow-up. The randomised cross-over study found no difference in state or trait dental anxiety however observational outcomes showed dental state anxiety remained high when handover was blocked. A significant lack in decline in dental trait anxiety was shown when dentists blocked patient expressed cues and concerns; this occurred irrespective of patient gender, age or number of appointments received in a 3 month period (F[155.06]=7.51, P=0.009). Conclusions: VNVC flow is fundamental to dyadic balance even within the first two minutes of the patient-dentist interaction. The balanced dyad is key to dental anxiety reduction.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Alaska Anchorage, 1998. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Alaska Anchorage, 1998. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Objective- To determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dental anxiety (DA) and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) proxy measures using electronic dental records from Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (TUKSoD). Methods- A cross-sectional study comparing data before the COVID-19 Pandemic (G1) (N=4,516) and before (G2) (N=3,995) and after the vaccine was available (G3) (N=3,891) was analyzed for patients 18 and older. The independent variables are age, sex, race, diabetic status, hypertension status, and DA. The dependent variable – OHRQoL – has four components (trouble while chewing, speaking, embarrassment due to dental problems, and pain/ sensitivity) which were converted to a composite score for analysis. OHRQoL, were coded as good, fair, and poor. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to assess outcome differences across the three groups. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results- The proportion of individuals with poor DA in G1, G2, and G3 were about 5%, 3%, and 4% respectively. The proportion of individuals with poor OHRQoL were 8%, 5%, and 4% in G1, G2, and G3, respectively. About 26%, 21%, 19% reported poor social interactions in G1, G2, and G3, respectively. About 1% of individuals in G1, G2, and G3 reported poor speaking. About 8%, 3%, and 5% reported poor chewing in G1, G2, and G3, respectively. About 4% of individuals in G1 and 3% in both G2 and G3 reported poor comfort. Significant differences in DA were observed between G1 vs G2 (p=<0.01) and G1 vs G3 (p=<0.01). Also, significant differences in OHRQoL between G1 vs G2 (p=<0.01), G2 vs G3 (p=0.01), and G1 vs G3 (p-value=<0.01). Associations between DA and OHRQoL were seen across G1, G2, and G3. Hypertension and diabetic status also seemed to be associated with OHRQoL at multiple points in this study. Conclusion- Overall, OHRQoL and dental anxiety improved post COVID-19 vaccine availability compared to the pre-COVID-19 vaccine availability and the pre-COVID-19 pandemic. This could be attributed to increased health consciousness triggered by the COVID-19 events. / Oral Biology

Dental phobia, also referred to as "dental anxiety," or "odontophobia," is a significant and intense fear of visiting the dentist for oral treatments. Individuals who experience high levels of this anxious condition avoid going to the dentist. It is estimated that 9 to 15% of both children and adults in America, about 30 – 40 million individuals, experience a level of dental phobia that causes them to avoid visiting the dentist. Individuals affected with this specific form of anxiety often neglect necessary dental visits for varying periods of time, which can, obviously, lead to health concerns in the oral cavity and other parts of the human body, as well as result in mental health and image concerns. When dental phobic patients do manage to attend a dental session, the individual often experiences great levels of anxiety and stress throughout the entire experience, not only creating pain and discomfort for the patient, but also creating adverse treatment circumstances for the dental practitioners that serve to help the patient. Efforts have been made in investigating the effectiveness of various techniques and approaches that could be implemented in the dental setting to ease phobic patients, granting them a less-stressful experience and allowing the dental staff to do their jobs more efficiently in providing the patient with appropriate oral care. There are several techniques used in the dental office today to reduce anxiety such as distraction, controlled breathing techniques, attention focusing, and several sedating methods employing various types of medication, as well as different types of administration. Distraction, controlled breathing, and attention focusing require special attention and an extension of time on the end of not only the patient, but also of the dental staff. These techniques, while possibly offering a reduction in feelings of anxiety, may require multiple attempts and a greater investment of time to show substantial results. Sedation methods may consist of various medications used alone or in a combination to successfully achieve a reduction in anxiety. With the various types of medications and techniques that can be used when sedating a patient, along with the various routes of administration, such as oral, intravenous, and intranasal, sedation methods can be adapted to best suit a patient in terms of their personal preferences and level of comfort, as well as to accommodate time requirements for specific procedures. Each of the techniques and methods used in today’s dental setting should be carefully and strategically evaluated and customized for the anxious or phobic patient in mind. Some methods are favored for certain attributes, varying from ease of use, time required, and speed of onset, to the efficiency in reducing a patient’s anxious or phobic symptoms. Professionals in the field of dentistry must act as providers of the treatment options and resources of the information in regards to the methods so that patients may become aware of the current tactics used in aiding such affected people.

Dental anxiety is a major public health problem that leads to underutilization of dental care and poor oral health. Much research has demonstrated an association between the expectation of pain during dental treatment and dental anxiety; however, not all patients with high pain expectancy develop dental anxiety, suggesting that other factors may impact the degree to which pain expectancy increases dental anxiety. The present study examined whether anxiety sensitivity (AS; the fear of negative consequences of anxiety-related symptoms and sensations) increases the strength of the relationship between pain expectancy and dental anxiety. Participants were 104 adult patients of Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry clinics. Baseline levels of AS and pain expectancy were assessed using self-report questionnaires. Baseline dental anxiety was assessed using self-report questionnaires and measures of psychological/physiological stress reactivity to films of dental procedures. Participants also underwent a pain expectancy induction, and all indices of dental anxiety were re-assessed following the pain expectancy induction. Linear regression analyses revealed that, in contrast to expectations, AS did not strengthen the relationship between self-reported or laboratory-induced pain expectancy and any indicators of dental anxiety. On the contrary, there was limited evidence that AS may weaken the pain expectancy-dental anxiety relationship. Consistent with previous studies, there was a strong pattern of findings supporting a direct association between pain expectancy and dental anxiety, but limited evidence of a direct association between AS and dental anxiety. AS may not be a strong risk candidate for dental anxiety, and future studies examining other theoretically-relevant vulnerability factors are needed to elucidate pathways through which pain expectancy leads to greater dental anxiety. / Psychology