Dentophobia and dental treatment: An umbrella review of the published literature

Abstract

Aims Dentophobia is a well‐know kind of phobia and psychological problem in dentistry. Although patients might suffer from severe oral pain and have serious health complications, dentophobia is still posing a threat to oral healthcare and remains an unresolved worldwide phenomenon. According to estimates, up to 80% of the general population are affected by this condition. Dentophobia is an unpleasant problem with serious consequences not only for patients but also for dentists and the public health system in general. This umbrella review provides a comprehensive overview of the various aspects of dentophoia as addressed in the published literature, and the current level of knowledge concerning their treatment. Methods and results Based on 35 reviews of the published literature, addressing various aspects of dentophobia and published between 2008 and 2021, this umbrella review was written. The search was based on the PubMed and PsycINFO databases. The extraction was structured by open coding and each aspect of the subject analyzed according to Ritchie and Lewis. Conclusion We conclude that the evidence concerning the efficacy of the various interventions is still rather weak and there is an obvious need for further research, because of the yet and unresolved challenges and the lack of standardised guidelines to deal with patients with dentophobia.

Associations between the perception of dental pain and pain anxiety, mental pain, and dental anxiety in Iranian sample

“…Also, based on this research, complementary psychological interventions can be designed before and after dental services. 72 Ultimately, the results indicated the associations between the perception of dental pain and pain anxiety, mental pain, and dental anxiety. Considering the role of anxiety in dentistry, it is suggested to investigate whether dental anxiety manifests as health anxiety or refers to a specific phobia.…”

“…71 The patients with a safe attachment style reported less anxiety concerning their parents having a safer relationship with the dentist. 71,72 On the other hand, the people with insecure attachment styles and feelings of ambivalence had an uneasy relationship with their dentist and suffered from more anxiety. 71 In the same conditions, the people with a safe schema in a child-parent relationship reported less anxiety than those with an insecure schema.…”

“…In line with the findings of this study, it can be concluded that formed personality factors of the patient during the growing period can cause pain anxiety as a psychological pattern. 71,72 Other psychological concepts related to pain perception and psychological traits, such as catastrophic pain, pain sensitivity, and low resiliency, can be mentioned. 64,73 Also, the patient's interpretation of pain influences the type of pain perception.…”

Dental anxiety and oral health following stroke: a pilot study

“…This then leads to a reinforcement of dental fear, and future avoidance of treatment-seeking. [ 8 , 10 ]. Although dental anxiety would therefore be of concern in any group, the present study suggests that it may be particularly problematic following stroke.…”

“…Phobic anxiety is characterized by an excessive and irrational fear of a particular object, activity, or situation, accompanied by marked avoidant behaviour of specific anxiety-provoking situations. One of the ways in which phobic anxiety can present is as dentophobia (dental fear and anxiety), and a recent review concluded that approximately 20% of adults in the general population experience moderate dentophobia [ 8 ]. Because people with dental fear and anxiety are more likely to avoid the dentist and neglect oral hygiene, people with high levels of dentophobia are also more vulnerable to poor oral health.…”