Background Description and Epidemiology

Moving the four habits model into dentistry. Development of a dental consultation model: Do dentists need an additional habit?

“…Given the importance of perceived control on the anxiety level of patients, there is reason to believe that the additional Habit FPC will contribute to the efficiency of clinical treatment. Systematic assessment of distress has also been included in the proposed dental model, as an additional component of Habit 2 in the extended pre‐clinical interview, when a patient is new to the clinic.…”

“…In Western countries, around 20%‐30% of adult patients feel anxious about dental visits, and around 4%‐5% suffer from dental phobia and management of these patients should be an integral part of clinical practice. Early identification and assessment of dental anxiety and phobia in general dental practice has proven beneficial to the anxious patient, yet only a minority practice this routinely .…”

“…Compared to the medical visit, dental visits more often entail invasive treatment, likely to be associated with discomfort, during which the patient is prevented from verbal exchange. The aspect of perceived control therefore needs to be highlighted, since this is crucial for prevention of distress . An additional Habit, Facilitate Perceived Control (FPC) has consequently been added to the model.…”

“…If treatment‐related distress or anxiety is disclosed, the interview must be further expanded (Figure and Table section 1), followed by shared decision‐making on how to proceed, for example, with relevant clinical adjustments and coping strategies, or with other fear‐reducing approaches …”

Dental fear and expected effectiveness of destructive coping as predictors of children's uncooperative intentions in dental settings

“…Dental anxiety represents a common problem in child populations. It is associated with a lower frequency of dental visits, avoidance of dental treatments and non‐cooperative behaviour during consultations.…”