If you feel apprehensive about your imminent dental appointment, you are not alone. Research shows that 30 percent of people fear going to the dentist, including more than 20 percent who have had an appointment recently, according to an NYU study. But this new app could come to your rescue to prepare you for an uneventful visit to your dental office.
A new smartphone app, Dental FearLess, developed by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry and Penn School of Dental Medicine shows promise in curbing the distress of having to visit a dentist. The app employs the core principles of cognitive behavioral therapy(CBT) and mindfulness in a series of engaging activities designed to combat dental fear.
Dental FearLess takes its users through educational materials on fear and anxiety, including various coping strategies from breath work and muscle relaxation to communication skills and techniques for challenging negative thoughts - all tailored for dental visits. Users also get the opportunity to watch interactive videos between dentists and patients and acquire certain skills to be implemented in their next appointment.
There is also an option for participants who are still experiencing fear after completing the app to have a one-on-one zoom session with a mental health practitioner. The hour-long session is targeted to their specific needs and can include a simulated visit to the dentist- with complete drill sounds and a professional wearing scrubs to assess newfound skills.
In a pilot study, 48 participants with moderate to severe dental fear tested the app before their next dental appointment. Half of the participants (49%) reported that they were no longer fearful, and 97% said they could handle the discomfort of the visit. Most (85%) said their appointments had gone better than expected.
Richard Heyman is a clinical psychologist and principal researcher behind the app. He said that while dental fear is often treated using anti-anxiety medications and sedatives, CBT could be more effective.
He said, “Receiving sedation or anti-anxiety medication can signal to a fearful patient that they can’t handle seeing the dentist without this help, which perpetuates the cycle of fear, avoiding the dentist, and then having more serious problems to address.”
The researchers opine that CBT is rarely incorporated into dental practice citing financial or logistical barriers. The app design allows the therapy to be provided in an accessible and affordable format from home.
The developers hope that treating dental fear in this way will improve oral health outcomes, as those with dental fear are more likely to skip regular dental visits that can worsen their oral health .
Mark Wolff, the Dean of the Penn School of Dental Medicine and a principal investigator of dental fear research remarked that avoiding routine dental care leads to ‘more instances of pain, infection and broken teeth.’ This means the need for more dental work, which all results in more fear.
He continued: “Learning to manage one’s fear of dental care and the dentist is the only answer to improving oral health.”
The app will now be tested in a larger national study. The researchers will also study the potential uses of virtual reality as an add-on to address dental fear. They hope to develop a set of research-based tools which can be incorporated in private dental practices to treat fear among their patients.
The research is funded by grants from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health.
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash/Dr Vineesha V/MSM)
