Talking Therapy Found to Help Patients Overcome Dental Fear

According to new research, talking therapy can help patients with dental phobia overcome the dread of the dentist.

Research from a study conducted by King's College London Dental Institute's health psychology service found that talking therapy can help dental patients face their fear of the dentist. Psychologists looked at 31 men and 99 women attending a specialist cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) service for people terrified of dental injections and drills.

Of the 130 patients treated at the clinic, 79 per cent went on to have dental treatment without the need for sedation while 6 per cent still needed sedation to visit the dentist.

Professor Tim Newton, leader of the King's College team, said:

"People with dental phobia are most commonly given sedation to allow them to become relaxed enough for a short period of time to have their dental treatment performed. However this does not help them to overcome their fear in the long term.

"The primary goal of our CBT service is to enable patients to receive dental treatment without the need for sedation, by working with each individual patient to set goals according to their priorities. Our study shows that after on average five CBT sessions, most people can go on to be treated by the dentist without the need to be sedated."

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