Management of dental anxiety – a cross-sectional survey in private dental practices in the Swiss Romandy
Swiss Dent J. 2020 Apr 6;(4):308-320.
Abstract
The
main aim of the present study was to gain a better understanding of the
management of dental anxiety reported by dental practitioners in
western Switzerland. In 2013, an 18-item electronic questionnaire was
sent to dental practitioners in the Swiss Romandy. A total of 140
(18.6%) questionnaires were included in the analysis. About four out of
five practitioners (79.4%) involved with dental emergency service had at
least one occurrence with dental phobic patients. The majority of the
respondents stated that both dental anxiety and dental phobia increases
stress in the dental practice with frequencies of 90.0% and 88.5%,
respectively. Among the 119 respondents using anxiety reduction methods
(85.0%), an overall of 51 (42.9%) reported using pharmacological methods
while 89.9% (n = 107) used psychological methods. Female dentists were
using psychological anxiety reduction methods three times more
frequently than male dentists reaching borderline statistical
significance (OR = 3.0, p = 0.0591). Out of 140 respondents, only 28
(20.1%) received education and training in dental anxiety reduction
methods. The majority of these (66.4%; n = 83) stated that their
education was inadequate and 55.8% (n = 77) requested further education
and training. It can be concluded that more education and training of
dental anxiety reduction methods are needed.
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