Treating the Apprehensive Dental Patient
Course #56052 - $36 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
Many people have varying degrees of apprehension related to various aspects of dental treatment. Even patients who obtain regular dental care can have trepidation about dental procedures, especially those that are surgical in nature, those for which anesthetic injections are required, and restorative dentistry in which use of a high-speed hand-piece is required. Most people are able to obtain and complete proposed dental procedures despite their fears. However, some patients have levels of apprehension about dental treatment that make it difficult for them to schedule dental appointments and complete treatment that has been planned, and this course will focus on this group of patients. Highlights will include an exploration of the terminology used to describe the varying levels of dental apprehension and behavioral and/or pharmacological techniques that can be used to assist patients to complete dental treatment. Treatment modifications to decrease patients' fear about procedures, the most common dental situations which patients find stressful, the origins of many dental-based fears, and the adverse effects of stress on the dental staff will also be discussed.
- INTRODUCTION
- AN OVERVIEW OF DENTAL APPREHENSION
- ORIGINS OF DENTAL APPREHENSION
- THE MOST COMMON STRESSORS DURING DENTAL TREATMENT
- VERBAL AND NONVERBAL SIGNS OF FEAR AND ANXIETY
- BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION TECHNIQUES
- PHARMACOLOGIC MANAGEMENT OF DENTAL FEAR AND ANXIETY
- DENTAL TREATMENT MODIFICATIONS
- THE EMOTIONAL ASPECT OF TREATING APPREHENSIVE DENTAL PATIENTS
- CONCLUSION
- Works Cited
This course is designed for all dental professions with patients who are apprehensive regarding dental treatments.
The purpose of this course is to provide insight about dental-based apprehension from the viewpoint of the patient and to suggest methods to increase patients' ability to obtain dental care.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Differentiate between the terms used to describe levels of dental apprehension.
- Discuss available tools to screen for dental fear and anxiety.
- Describe common theories about the origin of dental apprehension.
- List the most common situations or instruments that stimulate a stress response among dental patients.
- Identify common verbal and nonverbal signs that indicate a patient is apprehensive about ongoing dental treatment.
- Evaluate common behavior modification techniques used to treat apprehensive dental patients.
- List common pharmacologic agents for the treatment of apprehensive dental patients.
- Analyze the role of dental treatment modifications to assist in meeting the dental needs of apprehensive patients.
- Discuss how dental staff is affected by providing dental treatment for apprehensive patients.
Mark J. Szarejko, DDS, FAGD, received his dental degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1985. He received fellowship from the Academy of General Dentistry in 1994.
Contributing faculty, Mark J. Szarejko, DDS, FAGD, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.