CONGRATULATIONS to:

• Anne $25.00 gift card to the movies
• Carlina $15.00 gift card to Tim Hortons
• Ryan $15.00 gift card for iTunes
• Brenden Philips Sonicare Electric Toothbrush
• Rachel $15.00 gift card to SUBWAY

We will be giving away gift certificates for iTunes, Subway, and Cineplex, and electric toothbrushes.

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Once the crucial assessment of dental anxiety has been completed specific techniques can be identified that target the individual’s specific anxiety issues.

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CONTROL TECHNIQUES: BEHAVOURIAL
A fear of loss of control is a common issue identified in anxiety assessment. Factors contributing to control issues are patient position during dental treatment. Dental treatment is accomplished with a patient in a supine position with the dental team above and over the patient. Any claustrophobic tendencies; the sense of being out of control and vulnerable plus the inability to communicate due to dental treatment often results in an overwhelming sense of loss of control. Simple hand signals are an integral part of any dental treatment. A simple signal of raising the left hand is an agreed signal bet. The dentist and patient that everything needs to stop and the dentist will then identify with the patient what the problem is and correct it immediately before treatment re-commences. Dental team members are experts at communicating with patients even with the restrictions of rubber dam, or local anaesthetic.

CONTROL TECHNIQUES: INFORMATIONAL
The assessment of an individual’s dental anxiety may reveal the need for lots of information during dental treatment to decrease dental anxiety (MONITOR-type) or the need for minimal information during dental treatment as too much information only causes increased dental anxiety. Monitor-type individuals with dental anxiety are calmed by knowing exactly what is going on; what procedures are being performed; the sensations they can anticipate and the anticipated time frame remaining in dental treatment.

Blunter type individuals with dental anxiety are calmed by no details, no specifics of ongoing dental treatment. Information, explanations and dental information only raises their anxiety levels.

It is crucial to identify an individual’s specific type in order to control the type of information correctly.

COPING STRATEGIES
Coping strategies form the basic building blocks of treatment of dental anxiety.

RELAXATION BREATHING/MUSCLE RELAXATION
A very simple, basic strategy that can be enormously helpful. A simple, short lesson with the patient teaching the techniques of relaxation breathing and muscle relaxation using a tense and release technique will allow the patient to identify and control the initial symptoms of anxiety and control and minimize anxiety before it becomes the over whelming highly elevated anxiety that is often impossible to control. This simple technique is highly effective and can be used by the patient in a number of difficult applications.

DISTRACTION
An additional coping strategy that is often used by a dentist to refocus the patient. Patients who focus intently on the specific components of dental treatment and anticipate negative outcomes or sensations will experience difficulties. Refocusing a patients attention on other aspects, sensations will prevent the “tense” “red alert” body state that results in exaggerated reactions to minor sensations.

CONTROL TECHNIQUES: COGNITIVE
A patient’s belief about the dental experience is often a self-fulfilling prophecy. Many patients are unable to control the incessant “voice in their Head” that repeats negative beliefs eg. “This is going to hurt” “I can’t do this” “this is going to be sore” “This is horrible” “I can’t bear this”. The continuous playing of these beliefs can completely undermine a patients’ ability to cope with dental treatment. The first step is to identify specifically what is being repeated and then use a strategy that works for that individual to stop the message. Examples of strategies are visualizing large stop signs, or hand positions that interrupt the thought.

Courtenay P.

Congratulations to the winner of our March Break Children’s gift basket, Christopher.

There will be a draw for a March Break basket. Any child who attends between now and March 13th will be entered to win.

Basket includes- Cineplex gift card, complimentary sports mouthguard fabrication, Tim Hortons gift card, electric toothbrush and lots of other things to keep your healthy smile.

The assessment of dental anxiety is the most important aspect of treating dental anxiety. Often patients will report a generalized “I just don’t like the dentist”. These reactions must be explored carefully and the exact nature/cause/source of the anxiety has to be identified in order to then correctly establish the treatment modalities for addressing the anxiety.

Specific questions that explore the main categories of dental anxiety will provide a wealth of information to both the dentist and the often the patient that will facilitate treatment. The main categories of dental anxiety include: specific anxieties, generalized reactions, mistrust and catastrophe.

Specific anxieties related to dentistry include questioning about the individual components that cause anxiety. Needles are often a specific concern for anxious patients. Problems with needles can include the inability to accept a dental injection (needle phobia); fainting when a needle is used (Blood Injury Injection phobia); fear of the needle including fear of pain associated with the injection; fear that the needle will slip or move or break; fear that the needle will not provide sufficient anaesthesia and there will be pain. Other specific fears include fear of the drill. This includes fear of the noise, vibration or pain associated with the drill if there is insufficient local anaesthetic. Insufficient local anaesthetic resulting in pain during dental treatment is a common fear. Often the patient has experienced pain during dental treatment. They have either not informed the dentist or have informed the dentist and been told that they have had sufficient local anaesthetic and treatment has continued despite their pain. It is common that with additional local anaesthetic or additional time following the administration of local anaesthetic that profound anaesthesia can be obtained eliminating pain during treatment.

Generalized anxiety assessment begins by asking about sleep disturbances the night before a dental appointment. This gives a better indication of the level of anxiety associated with dental treatment. An assessment of the body’s reactions to dental anxiety that a person experiences while in the dental chair provides additional information about the extent of dental anxiety. Body reactions can include pounding heart, sweaty palms, shaking, butterflies in the stomach and nausea. Treatment can be tailored to address these specific reactions.

Mistrust is a different faucet of dental anxiety that also needs to be explored. Sometimes a patient has been inappropriately spoken to by a dentist, hygienist or other member of staff. Remarks about a patient’s dental condition or at home dental care or simply a condescending attitude can make a patient feel embarrassed or ashamed. Additionally, if there have been problems during dental treatment such as pain, unexpected changes to the dental treatment required, or errors or omissions on the dentists behalf can make a patient very wary of future dental treatment.

Catastrophising is a type of thought process that can undermine a patient’s ability to accept dental treatment. Thoughts or beliefs that involve catastrophic events can paralyze a dental patient. For example some patients hold the belief that they may have a heart attack during dental treatment or may suffer a serious allergic reaction, be unable to breath or may die as a result of dental treatment.

The discussion of these different categories of dental treatment usually identifies the specifics of the patient’s dental anxiety. Anxiety may involve only one category of dental anxiety or may involve elements of a number or all of the categories of dental anxiety. Once the specifics of dental anxiety have been identified specific tools and pathways are used to address the anxiety.

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POSITION FILLED
Unfortunately, Shannon has decide to return to full time education for dental hygiene. I am looking for a full time dental assistant (Level II preferred) who will be a good match with the existing team.

Experience required, flexible, organized and personable.

Please FAX resume to 905-876-2627

The causes of dental anxiety can be simply categorized as those resulting from a direct experience or an indirect experience.

DIRECT EXPERIENCES
Research has shown that dental fear generally starts in childhood (85%) and the dentist’s professional behaviour/interpersonal behaviour was the most important cause. When fear was acquired in adult years pain was the most important cause.

INDIRECT EXPERIENCES

• The most common way dental fear is acquired indirectly is from parent to child. This route of acquisition can be from hearing parents talk of their fear or dislike of dentistry or by seeing a parent react adversely to dentistry.
• The mass media can communicate dental fear through cartoons, movies and television.
• Finally, distressing medical procedures can sometimes result in fear generalizing to the dental environment.

The fear experienced in the medical setting automatically gets triggered in the dental setting.

Additional sources that contribute to dental fear include the patient experiencing a sense of helplessness over a situation that may cause them pain or injury. Fearful patients can also be overwhelmed by negative/catastrophising thoughts. These patients anticipate pain “This is going to be very sore” or problems “The drill is going to slip and cut me”.

Some people also have a fearful disposition. These people experience anxiety and fear in numerous situations.

Identifying the cause of dental anxiety can often aid the treatment of dental anxiety by targeting specific behaviors, or cognitions (thoughts).