Dental Anxiety Leads To Poor Oral Health

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DENTAL NEWS: People with anxious personalities are more likely to have poor oral health, including decayed or missing teeth, a study done by the University of Otago in New Zealand has found.

Those with dental anxiety were more than just people who visit the dentist with a feeling of trepidation as the dentist looms over them with drill in hand; they were so frightened at the prospect of visiting a dentist or having dental procedures that they would avoid the dentist altogether - until the problem became so serious that treatment could no longer be avoided. Consequently, sufferers of dental anxiety end up with more tooth decay and more missing teeth than those who are not.

Anxious People Make Anxious Dental Patients
Researchers, lead by Professor Murray Thomson, of Otago University's Department of Oral Sciences found that they tended to be "the glass-half-empty" personality type - people who, as a rule, would be anxious about other things, such as heights.

Professor Thomson says the study has implications for the dentistry profession and for the public. "This gives the dental profession a good understanding of what makes (dental anxiety in) people, and to be mindful that some people can grow out of it," he says. "For the public, it's useful to know that, if you take the path of least resistance and avoid dental care, then in the end you will be worse off, not only dentally but also in terms of appearance, social interactions and your quality of life."

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