Dental Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia – Behavioral Management and Implications for Dentists

Clinical management of patients with dental fear, anxiety, and phobia could be a major challenge to daily practice of dental professionals. The aim of the current review was to expand the modern consideration with respect to these issues, and therefore to discuss basic approaches and psychologic...

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Main Author: Nadya Tsetsova Avramova
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-04-01
Series:Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1349&context=jmms
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author Nadya Tsetsova Avramova
author_facet Nadya Tsetsova Avramova
author_sort Nadya Tsetsova Avramova
collection DOAJ
description Clinical management of patients with dental fear, anxiety, and phobia could be a major challenge to daily practice of dental professionals. The aim of the current review was to expand the modern consideration with respect to these issues, and therefore to discuss basic approaches and psychological techniques for management of oral health behaviors that should be employed in dentistry. This paper presents detailed description of the characteristics of dentist-patient therapeutic relationship as well as the most used techniques to cope with dental fear, anxiety, and phobia - relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), hypnosis and melotherapy. We can still argue that knowledge from behavioral sciences, along with excellent communication skills, empathic attitude, and individual patient-centered approach remain the main armamentarium of the dentist to deal with “difficult” patients, experiencing fear, anxiety, or phobia during dental appointment.
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spelling doaj-art-8f08a9e2fa594abeb32f480f386c863d2025-08-20T03:18:56ZengMDPI AGJournal of Mind and Medical Sciences2392-76742023-04-01101425010.22543/2392-7674.1349Dental Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia – Behavioral Management and Implications for DentistsNadya Tsetsova Avramova0Department of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical University -Sofia, BulgariaClinical management of patients with dental fear, anxiety, and phobia could be a major challenge to daily practice of dental professionals. The aim of the current review was to expand the modern consideration with respect to these issues, and therefore to discuss basic approaches and psychological techniques for management of oral health behaviors that should be employed in dentistry. This paper presents detailed description of the characteristics of dentist-patient therapeutic relationship as well as the most used techniques to cope with dental fear, anxiety, and phobia - relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), hypnosis and melotherapy. We can still argue that knowledge from behavioral sciences, along with excellent communication skills, empathic attitude, and individual patient-centered approach remain the main armamentarium of the dentist to deal with “difficult” patients, experiencing fear, anxiety, or phobia during dental appointment.https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1349&context=jmmsdental phobiaanxietycognitive-behavioral therapyhypnosismelotherapy
spellingShingle Nadya Tsetsova Avramova
Dental Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia – Behavioral Management and Implications for Dentists
Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences
dental phobia
anxiety
cognitive-behavioral therapy
hypnosis
melotherapy
title Dental Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia – Behavioral Management and Implications for Dentists
title_full Dental Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia – Behavioral Management and Implications for Dentists
title_fullStr Dental Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia – Behavioral Management and Implications for Dentists
title_full_unstemmed Dental Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia – Behavioral Management and Implications for Dentists
title_short Dental Fear, Anxiety, and Phobia – Behavioral Management and Implications for Dentists
title_sort dental fear anxiety and phobia behavioral management and implications for dentists
topic dental phobia
anxiety
cognitive-behavioral therapy
hypnosis
melotherapy
url https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1349&context=jmms
work_keys_str_mv AT nadyatsetsovaavramova dentalfearanxietyandphobiabehavioralmanagementandimplicationsfordentists