Efficacy of a trauma‐focused treatment approach for dental phobia: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract

It has been hypothesized that treatment specifically focused on resolving memories of negative dental events might be efficacious for the alleviation of anxiety in patients with dental phobia. Thirty-one medication-free patients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) criteria of dental phobia were randomly assigned to either Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) or a waitlist control condition. Dental anxiety was assessed using the Dental Anxiety Questionnaire (DAS), the Dental Fear Survey (DFS), a behavior test, and dental attendance at 1-yr of follow up. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing was associated with significant reductions of dental anxiety and avoidance behavior as well as in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The effect sizes for the primary outcome measures were d = 2.52 (DAS) and d = 1.87 (DFS). These effects were still significant 3 months (d = 3.28 and d = 2.28, respectively) and 12 months (d = 3.75 and d = 1.79, respectively) after treatment. After 1 yr, 83.3% of the patients were in regular dental treatment (d = 3.20). The findings suggest that therapy aimed at processing memories of past dental events can be helpful for patients with dental phobia.

The OptiMUM-study: EMDR therapy in pregnant women with posttraumatic stress disorder after previous childbirth and pregnant women with fear of childbirth: design of a multicentre randomized controlled trial

“…For FoC, EMDR therapy effect size is not known yet. The most comparable data is EMDR therapy for dental phobia, which showed a large effect size (Doering et al, 2013). We estimated a medium effect size of 0.5, which results in 50 patients needed per group.…”

“…Cognitive behavioural therapy, particularly in vivo exposure, is generally considered to be the treatment of choice for specific phobias (Barlow, Allen, & Basden, 2007; Wolitzky-Taylor, Horowitz, Powers, & Telch, 2008). However, because in vivo exposure is hardly possible for women with FoC, and the fact that EMDR therapy has been found to be effective for a wide variety of specific phobia subtypes (de Jongh, Holmshaw, Carswell, & Van Wijk, 2011; de Jongh, Ten Broeke, & Renssen, 1999; Doering, Ohlmeier, de Jongh, Hofmann, & Bisping, 2013), this may be a promising alternative. Thus far, controlled studies using EMDR therapy among pregnant women with FoC are lacking.…”

Military psychological trauma and therapy: a review of EMDR treatment and supervision in the UK Ministry of Defence

“…EMDR is recognised internationally as a prominent treatment for psychological trauma 15–18. Although EMDR is also widely accepted for use in treating other psychological disorders such as complex trauma,19 panic disorder,20 depression,21 phobias22 and pain,23 it is accepted that more research is required in these areas. Research on the use of EMDR for military-related trauma is ongoing.…”

Virtual reality exposure therapy for treatment of dental phobia

“…36 The test was similar to the VRET scenarios, and provided a baseline behavioural assessment measure to compare the responses of the patient before and after the VRET. The test was similar to the one used by Doering et al 37 and consisted of introducing five situations that usually occur during a dental visit: 1. Sitting in the dental chair; 2.…”

“…Patients were asked by the observer to assess his/her level of anxiety on a scale of 0−10 in each situation 37 during each of the aforementioned dental situations. This behaviour test was performed at baseline and after completion of VRET.…”