Everyone is probably familiar with the uneasy feeling before a visit to the dentist. For some people, it even escalates into full-blown panic. Unfortunately, many dentists show little interest in further training on the subject of "dental anxiety". Patient education and treatment options are also only taken up by a fraction of the dental profession. According to the scientific information service "Zahnmedizin Report", which refers to a Heidelberg study, 34 percent of those surveyed do not attend such seminars at all. Only 10 percent of participants regularly attend further training on the subject of anxiety.
Further results of the study: almost all dentists try to manage patients' anxiety by dividing the treatment into several sessions and using conversations and distraction tactics. At the same time, only 40 to 70 percent consider these methods to be successful. The opposite is true for psychotherapeutic options: although only a small proportion of respondents use hypnotherapy (19%) and relaxation methods (54%), many believe in their effectiveness. For example, 54% of dentists consider hypnosis and 62% consider relaxation methods to be promising. This discrepancy is a further indication of a lack of further training.
Further training is worthwhile for patients, dentists and the practice team. Patients receive detailed information in the form of brochures or videos and can take advantage of special anxiety consultations. A larger treatment repertoire and special training courses also make it easier for dentists to deal with anxious patients. Dental anxiety is often caused by a combination of several factors, such as traumatic dental treatment in childhood or the threat of losing self-control. A severe anxiety disorder can therefore only be successfully treated with interdisciplinary cooperation on a psychological level. However, this interdisciplinary approach is rarely implemented in practice. Trained dentists are able to assess the situation more accurately and, according to the study, refer anxiety patients to psychotherapists more frequently.
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