Initial Prompt
Dental anxiety is, unfortunately, widespread in the dental world, but what exactly does that mean? As stated by Wide and Hakeberg (2021), “Dental anxiety/phobia is often described as a vicious cycle where avoidance of dental care, poor oral health, and psychosocial effects are common features, often escalating over time.” It is one of the leading reasons why patients do not come for regular cleanings or may be worried about the procedure they are about to have. As a dental hygienist, it is crucial to make the patient comfortable and feel trusted when treating patients with this condition. So, how do we treat dental anxiety patients? Dental hygienists use Trauma-Informed Care techniques to help manage anxious patient appointments. What is Trauma-Informed Care? As stated by Bloom (2010), “Trauma-informed care (TIC) calls for a change in organizational culture, where an emphasis is placed on understanding, respecting, and appropriately responding to the effects of trauma at all levels.” TIC requires that all dental staff recognize the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledge the role of trauma in an individual’s life. The intention of TIC is not to treat symptoms of issues related to a patient’s traumatic history but rather to provide support services in a way that is accessible and appropriate to those who may have experienced trauma. When operating procedures do not use a trauma-informed approach, the possibility of triggering or exacerbating trauma symptoms and re-traumatizing individuals increases. Trauma-informed care requires a system to make a paradigm shift from asking, “What is wrong with this person?” to “What happened to this person?”
For dental hygienists to appropriately treat dental anxiety patients with Trauma-Informed Care, it is essential to know how trauma is defined. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (2014), trauma is defined as “an event of actual or extreme threat of physical or psychological harm which an individual experiences as traumatic, and which causes long-lasting effects.” The National Council for Behavioral Health (n.d.) states that 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some traumatic event at least once in their lives, and over 90% of patients who are seen in public behavioral health clinics have experienced trauma. Trauma affects the way people approach potentially helpful relationships. Not surprisingly, those individuals with histories of trauma are often reluctant to engage in, or quickly drop out of, many human and health services. Dental patients with a history of traumatic experiences are more likely to engage in adverse health habits and to display fear of routine dental care. The Trauma-Informed Care framework and approach can guide dental care provider interactions with many types of traumatized patients, including those who choose not to disclose their trauma history in the context of oral health care.
References:
Bloom, S. L. (2010). Organizational stress as a barrier to trauma-informed service delivery. In M. Becker & B. A. Levin (Eds.), Public Health Perspective of Women’ s mental health (pp. 295–311). New York, NY: Springer.
SAMHSA’s Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach. (2014, July). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/userfiles/files/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf
Training Trauma-informed Peers. (n.d). The National Council for Behavioral Health. https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/training-courses/training-trauma-informed-peers/
Wide, U., & Hakeberg, M. (2021). Treatment of Dental Anxiety and Phobia-Diagnostic Criteria and Conceptual Model of Behavioural Treatment. Dentistry journal, 9(12), 153. https://doi.org/10.3390/dj9120153
Reflective Response
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