annotated bib rough draft

8/13/2019 Annotated Bib Rough Draft

1/10

Kevin Buscemi

ENC 1102

Professor Wolcott

October 21, 2013

Dental Anxiety and Remedies (Rough Draft)

The majority of people dont enjoy going to the dentist but go anyways for the sake of

their health, however, some people have an extreme fear of the dentist, known as dental phobia.

Patients with dental phobia or dental anxiety, which both go hand in hand, suffer from it so

severely that in many cases it actually prevents them from making the much required trip to the

dentist. It has been estimated that 9% to 15% of Americans avoid seeing the dentist because of

anxiety and fear (Columbia University College of Dental Medicine). This is a serious problem

because it is resulting in unhealthy oral health for patients dealing with dental anxiety.

Studies show that children dealing with dental anxiety, seem to suffer from it as adults as

well, and as a result this often causes dental avoidance. This is why many researchers are

working towards finding the causes of dental anxiety and possible ways to prevent it. In this

bibliography I will annotate numerous research studies in an attempt to analyze the causes of

dental anxiety, the severity of it upon certain people, and the numerous approaches and strategies

that dentists are taking to account for theirpatientsdental anxiety.

Dentists take many approaches when it comes to limiting dental anxiety, and several of

them are working pretty well. Some of these would be playing music, children television shows,

and the famous treasure chest visit after the procedure. There are many more approaches being


2/10

taken, using medical techniques and even approaches as simple as distracting the patient.

Dentists all over are excited to see the success that they are getting from these different

techniques. It is essential to reduce the anxiety levels in an effort to prevent future adults of

having dental anxiety and avoiding dental care. The majority of the studies and articles being

examined are scholarly journals and academic journals, written by either doctors or professors

from multiple universities.

Peretz, B., & Kharouba, J. (2013). Dental Anxiety among Israeli Children and

Adolescents in a Dental Clinic Waiting Room. Pediatric Dentistry, 35(3), 252-256.

The author of this article is focused on a specific pediatric dental clinic waiting room in Israel.

The study being performed is attempting to evaluate the dental anxiety of numerous patients in a

waiting room using self-reported questionnaires. One hundred and thirty patients (7-18 years old)

were asked to complete a Dental Anxiety Scale as well as a Dental Fear Survey while waiting for

their appointment. The results seemed to show some correlation to the previous study, as females

reported having higher dental anxiety levels than males. Higher anxiety levels were also reported

from those who last visited a dental office more than a year prior to their current one, as well as

patients who feared possible pain. There was also an extreme correlation between the two

questionnaires, where the responses on each seemed to be similar for patients reporting high

anxiety. This study relates to my topic as it is dealing with analyzing what type of people dental

anxiety is more common with as well as the causes of the anxiety. This is coming from a reliable

source, as the study was conducted by reliable researchers analyzing a legitimate pediatric dental

office.


3/10

Stenebrand A, Wide Boman U, Hakeberg M. Dental anxiety and temperament in 15-year

olds. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica [serial online]. January 2013;71(1):15-21.

The authors of this academic article are researchers from the Centre of Oral Health, School of

Health Sciences at Jnkping University, Sweden. They conducted a study with the purpose of

analyzing the prevalence of dental anxiety and its association with temperance,

sociodemographical factors, and previous unpleasant dental care experiences. They used a

sample of 263 randomly selected 15-year olds living in the the city of at Jnkping, Sweden. The

participants were given three self-reported questionnaires, each one pertaining to one of the three

specific factors being studied. Once completed, the results showed that roughly 7% of the

adolescents were suffering from dental anxiety, with girls tending to be more fearful. The results

also show that the most common cause of dental anxiety amongst these individuals was a

negative past dental experience resulting with pain. It is also worth noting that participants who

reported being typically shy, nervous, and anxious were more likely to suffer from dental

anxiety. This research study is relevant to my topic as it analyzes the likelihood of one suffering

from dental anxiety, as well as the factors contributing to the fear.

Halonen, H., Salo, T., Hakko, H., & Rsnen, P. (2012). Association of dental anxiety to

personality traits in a general population sample of Finnish university students. Acta

Odontologica Scandinavica, 70(2), 96-100. doi:10.3109/00016357.2011.598182

The authors of this academic journal are members of the Institute of Dentistry at the University

of Oulu as well as the Department of Oral Surgery. The purpose of the study performed is to

analyze the association between ones personality and their dental anxiety. The researchers

collected a sample of 880 Finnish University students and had them fill out the Modified Dental


4/10

Anxiety Scale (MDAS) questionnaire. The questionnaire listed five specific personalities;

neuroticism, agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, and lastly openness to experience.

They were also asked to respond with either mild, high, or none for the levels of the personality

traits. To no ones surprise, the results showed that only one personality trait has a correlation

with high dental anxiety; that being neuroticism. This relates to my article as it analyzes the

personality factors of dental anxiety, and it comes from credible sources in two well recognized

establishments.

Colares, V., Franca, C., Ferreira, A., Amorim Filho, H., & Oliveira, M. (2013). Dental

anxiety and dental pain in 5- to 12-year-old children in Recife, Brazil. European Archives Of

Paediatric Dentistry: Official Journal Of The European Academy Of Paediatric Dentistry, 14(1),

15-19. doi:10.1007/s40368-012-0001-8

The authors of this article are members of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University

of Pernambuco. The purpose of the study being performed is to examine the correlation between

pain and dental anxiety amongst children. The study used a sample of nine hundred and seventy

children (5-12 years old) and had the parents or guardians of the children fill out a questionnaire

regarding dental pain and dental anxiety information. Results showed that nearly 35% of children

had some sort of dental anxiety, ranging from severe to moderate. The study also showed that

roughly half of the children dealing with dental anxiety suffered from some sort of painful

incident during a previous dentist visit. This article relates to my topic as it presents information

providing the argument that dental anxiety is quite common amongst children and that past

negative experiences, typically dealing with pain, contribute greatly to ones anxiety.


5/10

Carrillo-Diaz, M., Crego, A., & Romero-Maroto, M. (2013). The influence of gender on

the relationship between dental anxiety and oral health-related emotional well-being.

International Journal Of Pediatric Dentistry, 23(3), 180-187. doi:10.1111/j.1365-

263X.2012.01242.x

The authors of this academic journal are members of a research group at Rey Juan Carlos

University. They conducted a study focused on analyzing the relationship between dental anxiety

and its negative impact on oral health and quality of life. The researchers decided to use the

decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth (DMFT) index in order to evaluate this relationship.

The DMFT index was then obtained from a random sample of one hundred and sixty-one

children (7-14 years old). Information pertaining to the childrens oral health, emotional well-

being, and dental anxiety were then collected by having the children fill out questionnaires. A

correlation was found between low emotional well-being and poor oral health along with high

levels of dental anxiety. Females typically reported having lower emotional well-being, poorer

oral health, and higher anxiety levels than males. The study clearly portrays that dental anxiety

has a huge influence on poor oral health and as a result, poor well-being. For this reason it

definitely relates to my topic as it concerns many dentists, and motivates them to work towards

reducing dental anxiety.

Vermaire, J., de Jongh, A., & Aartman, I. (2008). Dental anxiety and quality of life: the

effect of dental treatment. Community Dentistry & Oral Epidemiology, 36(5), 409-416.

The authors of this academic journal are members of the Academic Centre for Dentistry in

Amsterdam. The study being performed is focused on analyzing the relationship between dental

anxiety and quality of life. Thirty five patients dealing with high dental anxiety at a Dutch dental

fear clinic were selected and they were then assessed on their dental anxiety as well as their oral


6/10

health. This was done both before and after treatment, with an average session being anywhere

between fourty five and sixty minutes. Once again, the results showed that those with poor oral

health had much higher dental anxiety levels than the patients with good oral health. This relates

to my topic as it emphasizes how much oral health and quality of life is negatively affected by

the common issue of dental anxiety.

Eitner, S., Wichmann, M., Paulsen, A., & Holst, S. (2006). Dental anxiety--an

epidemiological study on its clinical correlation and effects on oral health. Journal Of Oral

Rehabilitation, 33(8), 588-593. The authors of this article are members of the Department of

Prosthodontics at Friedrich-Alexander-University. The study performed focuses on analyzing the

correlation between oral disease and dental anxiety. The researchers selected three hundred and

seventy-four soldiers who had a dental check-up to be part of the study. They collected data from

them using the Dental Anxiety Scale as well as the Gatchell Fear Scale. The results showed that

nearly nine percent of individuals reported being anxious while almost five percent reported

being highly anxious or what would be considered having dental phobia. It was also discovered

that highly anxious patients had more severe lesions and oral disease than the others with lower

levels. This serves to show that dental anxiety is common even in older people as well as the oral

health effects.

Sarnat, H., Arad, P., Hanauer, D., & Shohami, E. (2001). Communication strategies used

during pediatric dental treatment: a pilot study. Pediatric Dentistry, 23(4), 337-342.

The authors of this academic journal are members of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at


7/10

The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel. The

purpose of their study was to examine the effect on dental anxiety of communication techniques

used by pediatric postdoctoral students. They approached this using three specific types of

communication; permissive, empathic, and personal. They studied twenty four children (14 boys

and 10 girls), ranging from three to twelve years of age. They videotaped the conversations and

then analyzed the childs anxiety, cooperation, success of treatment, and mood at the end of the

session. The results of the study showed that the permissive approach, which supplies

information of the procedure, was most frequently used. This technique seemed to relax the

patients a bit and was definitely the best at reducing dental anxiety. This relates to my topic as it

shows one of the many techniques that dentists take in order to relieve dental anxiety.

de Jongh, A., Makkes, P., & Broers, D. (2004). [Treatment strategies for anxious adults

in general dental practice: guidelines for mild forms of anxiety]. Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor

Tandheelkunde, 111(2), 44-47.

The author of this article is a member of a Pediatric Dental Association in the Netherlands. The

purpose of the study is to analyze the relationship between trust and dental anxiety. A pediatric

dental office uses specific techniques with children patients and surveys the clients on their

anxiety after the procedures. The dentists purposely converse with the children, discussing child

friendly topics, in hope to gain their trust. The results of this study show that in cases of mild

anxiety, conversations tend to relieve the anxiety of the patients. However, patients with high

levels of dental anxiety were not relaxed by this strategy.


8/10

Lahmann, Claas, et al. "Brief relaxation versus music distraction in the treatment of

dental anxiety." J Am Dent Assoc 139.3 (2008): 317-324.

The authors in this scholarly article are all doctors of some sort, even having an MD, PHD, or

DMD. The purpose of the study being done compares multiple techniques and their effectiveness

of reducing the dental anxiety of patients. They randomly select 90 patients with dental anxiety

to three groups; one receiving the brief relaxation method, the other music distraction, and the

last one serving as a control group. They then examine the outcomes of their anxiety using the

anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to determine which method was best. The

results of the study showed that the brief relaxation and music distraction methods reduced

anxiety significantly. Roughly 80% of patients receiving these methods reported having less

dental anxiety than in previous dental visits. Meanwhile, patients in the control group did not

have their anxiety levels lowered what so ever. This relates to the last article, discussing how

simply distracting and relaxing the patients can greatly reduce anxiety levels.

Kritsidima, Metaxia, Tim Newton, and Koula Asimakopoulou. "The effects of lavender

scent on dental patient anxiety levels: a cluster randomizedcontrolled trial." Community

dentistry and oral epidemiology 38.1 (2010): 83-87.

The authors of this scholarly article are members of a group known as the Community Dentistry

and Oral Epidemiology. The study being done has the goal of analyzing the influence that

lavender scent has on lowering dental anxiety levels. 340 patients were randomly selected for

this study and then they were asked to fill out questionnaires based on their dental anxiety; the

State Trait Anxiety Indicator as well as the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale. Half of the

participants were in a dental waiting room with a lavender scent while the other half were not.


9/10

The results of the study showed that although quite similar, the group with the lavender scent

reported having slight less anxiety than the other group. This is a much different approach than

other studies involve but it relates to my topic as it shows the many different ways in which

dentists are working around the issue of dental anxiety.

Corah, N. L., et al. "The dentist-patient relationship: perceived dentist behaviors that

reduce patient anxiety and increase satisfaction." The Journal of the American Dental

Association 116.1 (1988): 73-76.

The authors of this academic journal are members of the American Dental Association. They are

performing a study that is focused on how the behavior of dentists alters the dental anxiety of

their patients. They collected a sample of 250 patients, 140 women and 110 men, at two clinics.

The patients were asked to give their response to the behavior of their dentist and report the

levels of anxiety they were dealing with during the procedure. They offered possible choices

such as friendly, working quickly, being calm, giving moral support, and being conversive. The

results of the study revealed that the majority of satisfied patients reported having a dentist with a

calm approach to their work, as well as being friendly and talkative. This emphasizes the

argument that conversation and distracting the patient will serve to reduce the dental anxiety

levels of patients.

Lehrner, Johann, et al. "Ambient odors of orange and lavender reduce anxiety and

improve mood in a dental office." Physiology & Behavior 86.1 (2005): 92-95.


10/10

The authors of this article are members of a group that analyzes the behavior of medical patients

all over the world. Their study focuses on the impact of orange and lavender odors on reducing

dental anxiety, much similar to the previous lavender study. 350 randomly selected patients were

selected to take part in this study. The study took place in three dental waiting rooms, one

consisting of orange scent, lavender scent, and one with no scent. While waiting the subjects

were asked to fill out paperwork regarding their dental anxiety, which was later examined by the

researchers. Their study showed that the patients in rooms with either the orange or lavender

scent had nearly 25% less patients reporting dental anxiety. Once again, this is showing how

much simple factors such as scent can reduce dental anxiety, and the creative approaches that

continue to be taken by dentists all over in an effort to eliminate dental anxiety.

annotated bib rough draft

Documents