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English Iii: University of Guayaquil Facultad Piloto de Odontología

This document discusses techniques for dealing with dental phobias as a dentist. It summarizes several studies on managing dental anxiety through communication, distraction, and positive reinforcement. Effective communication helps correct misconceptions and builds trust. Distraction techniques like music can take patients' minds off procedures. Positive reinforcement through praise or rewards can encourage cooperation from children patients. The conclusion recommends that dentists lower patients' fears through psychological techniques to help patients overcome anxiety and improve oral health.

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85 views4 pages

English Iii: University of Guayaquil Facultad Piloto de Odontología

This document discusses techniques for dealing with dental phobias as a dentist. It summarizes several studies on managing dental anxiety through communication, distraction, and positive reinforcement. Effective communication helps correct misconceptions and builds trust. Distraction techniques like music can take patients' minds off procedures. Positive reinforcement through praise or rewards can encourage cooperation from children patients. The conclusion recommends that dentists lower patients' fears through psychological techniques to help patients overcome anxiety and improve oral health.

Uploaded by

DianitaVelezPincay
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNIVERSITY OF GUAYAQUIL

FACULTAD PILOTO DE ODONTOLOGA

ENGLISH III
WRITTEN PROJECT

Topic:

How to deal with phobias as dentists?

Teacher:
Lcda. Mnica Ontaneda. Msc.

MEMBERS GROUP #6
Durazno Sandra
Espinoza Jennifer
Mancheno Luis
Matamoros Fabio
Valles Ana
Vlez Diana (leader)

Third semester Parallel: 1


Academic period:
2017- 2018 CI
Dental phobia is a frequently encountered problem in dental office. The results are negative
attitudes towards dental treatment and procedures which make them difficult to accomplish
successfully. It is necessary for our patients to overcome this fear in order to improve their oral
health. Furthermore dentists should calm their patients before receiving any dental treatment.

The common reasons for avoiding dentists are previous negative experiences. The key
factor to beat dental distress is talking with the patient. In many cases building trust and confidence
in someone can give better results. In addition to this simple technique, there are psychological
approaches to manage dental anxiety such as communication, distraction and positive
reinforcement.

Newton (2012) study found the following:

Providing patients with information about procedures can help correct misconceptions
patients may have about treatment, such as what sensations can be expected and the
anticipated length of treatment. Some patients prefer to know about the procedure generally
at the start of the appointment, while others may prefer a play-by-play description of the
treatment as the appointment progresses. (p. 271).

The dentist- patient relationship is mainly based in communication. Patients who feel
positively about their communication with their dentists have better outcomes related to
satisfaction and lower fear than those who feel less positively about their dentists communication.
Patients that are well informed about the dental procedures feel satisfaction and lower dental fear
when they finish their treatments. (Hamasaki, 2011, p. 274).

Armfield and Heaton (2013) did a study in adults and children and found that:

Distraction might be beneficial for patients with dental anxiety. Focusing attention on
specific alternative visual or auditory stimuli in the dental clinic might keep the patients
mind off the procedure itself and help them to relax. There are several options available for
the clinician, such as background music, television programs, computer games, 3D video
glasses, movies, and audio books. (p.390).
The key purpose of any distraction techniques used by a dentist is to help relax, calm and
reassure the patient. The dentist may offer tea or regular breaks during treatment when possible,
or perhaps juts maintain a casual conversation throughout the patients time at the surgery. By
being honest, having open and clear communication, and offering other relaxing things, they hope
to show the patient that a visit to the dentist does not always have to be a terrifying experience.
(Filcheck, 2004, p. 59)

Efron (2013) studied the behaviour of children during dental treatment and said the following:

Positive reinforcement in terms of small tangible rewards or verbal acknowledgement


might provide a useful incentive for cooperation or appropriate behaviour. It works by
presenting a motivating item to a person after the desired behavior is exhibited, making the
behavior more likely to happen in the future. Particularly in children, it can be an effective
technique whether it be congratulating them for completing a treatment or holding their
hand through a procedure they are scared of having done. (p. 140).

Many dental practitioners are encouraged to use positive reinforcement to obtain


cooperation with dental procedures. Positive reinforcement, and positive feedback in particular, is
considered to be a universally accepted behaviour management technique when providing dental
care to children and is based on psychological principles that have been consistently demonstrated
to be effective. (Roberts, 2010, p. 166)

In conclusion, oral health is considered to be important, hence our patients should have
regular visits. As dentists we should provide a good service to our patients, this is why we should
lower their fears, mainly through various psychological techniques such as communication,
distraction and positive reinforcement. It is important that the patients overcome their fears as well
as they keep calm during dental intervention.
REFERENCES

Armfield, J., & Heaton, L. (2013). Management of fear and anxiety in the dental clinic: a review.

Australian Dental Journal, 390407. Retrieved from

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/adj.12118/full

Efron, S. (2013). Five tips for managing pediatric dental anxiety. Dent Today, 104-105.

Filcheck, H. (2004). The use of choice-based distraction to decrease the distress of children at the

dentist. Child Fam Behav, 59-68.

Hamasaki, T. (2011). Applicability of both dentist and patient perceptions of dentists

explanations to the evaluation of dentist-patient communication. Community Dent

Health, 274279.

Newton, T., Asimakopoulou, K., Daly, B., S, S. S., & Scott, S. (2012). The management of

dental anxiety: time for a sense of proportion. British Dental Journal, 271-274. Retrieved

from http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v213/n6/full/sj.bdj.2012.830.html

Roberts, J. (2010). Review: behaviour management techniques in paediatric dentistry. Dent, 166-

174.

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