Izvorni znanstveni članak
Fear from dental clinc as a limiting factor in the delivery of mouth and teeth health care
Lidija Mohorović
; Dom zdravlja, Labin, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of fear in patients
as a limiting factor for a successful stomatological protection. A poll was the basic method used. A group of 694 subjects, aged 15— 58 years, mean age 24.4 years, was examined. On visiting a dental clinic, 445 (65%) subjects were found to experience a certain degree of excitement, whereas 166 (24%) of them reported to be markedly to extraordinarily anxious. A hundred and eightx-one (26%) study subjects did not attend their dental clinics for continuous and regular dental care for fear. In 116 (64%) of them, fear was found to be consequential to some previous traumas experienced in dental doctors offices. A hundred and twenty-six (18%) subjects studied were found to have been avoiding visits to dental clinics, even when
a prompt procedure had been needed. Most patients reported to have been attending their clinics on time for previously scheduled visits, whereas 65 (9%) had not managed to do so. This fictitious carelessness, considerably hinhindering our work, is characteristic of dental phobia. According to American literature, 5%— 6% of the total population suffer from dental phobia. Studies conduced in Sweden, however, suggest that the real percentage might be even three-fold that mentioned above. The next phase of our study showed that there was no statistically significant difference in the extension of fear
according to age and sex, although fear was more expressed in the group below the age of 19 of both sexes and in women from all the three age groups. This is also confirmed by authors. Obviously, pain is closely related to a stomatological procedure. Thus, 242 (35%) subjects studied considered an injection of anesthetic very helpful for them to decide to visit a denta clinic. The roleof a stomatologist in the prevention and alleviation of dental anxiety is of double nature, including both behavior toward a patient and pain control, i. e. control of acute pain associated with a stomatological procedure. A less painful and bearable procedure would entail a positive relationship
toward treatment, acceptance of a stomatologist, and a higher level
of probability that the patient will follow the stomatologist's instructions, which is of an utmost importance in patient health education.
Ključne riječi
dental anxiety; phobia; pain; stomatological procedure
Hrčak ID:
105271
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.12.1986.
Posjeta: 1.292 *