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Biomedical subjects

A A Weiner

Publications and source records attributed to A A Weiner.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Survey examines patients' fear of dental treatment.

From September through November 1996, 158 of 844 patients at the general dentistry clinic of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine completed surveys concerning their fear of dental treatment. High levels of dental fear affected 65 percent of the respondents, with patients under the age of 45 reporting higher levels of fear than patients ages 45 years and older. Results showed that the four most common causes of fear in patients occur when the dentist seems rushed (65 percent), when the patient feels uninformed (50 percent), when the patient worries if the local anesthetic will be effective (43 percent), and when the patient's feelings are neglected (40 percent).

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Dental anxiety: differentiation, identification and behavioral management.

Dental anxiety has always been and still is a major impediment to regular dental care for a significant proportion of the general public. In years past, dental professionals could afford, by and large, to ignore this problem. Practices could flourish based on their technical virtuosity, and fearful or anxious patients might be considered a burden rather than a concern. Today, however, the laws of supply and demand are causing dentists to pay increased attention to aspects of the profession that extend beyond the science of clinical technique. A successful practice now depends on interpersonal as well as technical skills, particularly the ability to manage dental anxiety. Despite this, most dentists admit to a surprising lack of confidence when it comes to understanding the nature of anxiety and the modern methods advocated for its everyday management, which generally rely on behavioral modes of intervention. This paper is designed to familiarize practitioners with some of the basic elements of dental fear and anxiety, and their day to day management.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1988

Differentiating anxiety-panic disorders from psychologic dental anxiety.

It has always been believed that fear and anxiety of dental treatment was a simple continuum of experience that occurs in mild, moderate, or severe form. Past and present studies that attempt to both trace etiology and measure it reflect this view. The numerous studies that are concerned with methods of management are based on this accepted philosophy regarding the etiology of dental fear and anxiety. To a large extent, this may be true. However, there are some notable exceptions, and it is these cases that present the greatest management problem. Omitting the symptoms of fear and anxiety related to physical illness, drug withdrawal, or major mental illness, they present anxiety as a unidimensional learned problem usually conditioned by externally negative forces or experiences. They postulate that the fear and anxiety seen is due to a variety of factors. The interpretation of the definitions of fear, anxiety, and phobias by many in the profession that are presented in this issue also reflect the view that fear, anxiety, and phobias are learned or conditioned responses. This single-minded view has determined much of our understanding and subsequent management of this problem in dentistry.

Anxiety↗
PubMed1986

Dental anxiety--the development of a measurement model.

A more detailed measurement instrument for dental anxiety has been developed. To investigate the dimensionability of the response, two instruments were administered to 452 persons. The first set of items (33) concerned stimuli which might prove fearsome to patients. Some of these were dental specific, others were not. A second instrument (20 items) elicited the anxiety symptoms experienced. By comparing separate Kaiser-Caffrey Alpha Factor Analyses two factors were identified within each instrument. These were labelled "generalized" phobias and "dental specific" phobias; and "endogenous" and "exogenous" (anticipatory) anxiety symptoms. Four scales were constructed using simple summations of highly loaded variables. The scales are quite reliable. Although correlations among the scales proved to be significant they are all quite low, indicating that the four scales give more or less non-redundant information about the patient. The scale had discriminating validity in differentiating between patients who acknowledge experiencing spontaneous panic/anxiety attacks and those who did not. The data confirm that dental fears are relatively independent of other generalized anticipatory fears. The results cast doubt on previously held assumptions regarding the unidimensionality of anxiety. They are consistent with a new classification of anxiety and phobic disorders presented elsewhere. The implications for research and patient management are discussed.

Anxiety Disorders↗
PubMed1980

Dentalphobia.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Dental Care↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Potential fear-provoking patient experiences during treatment.

During a four-month period in 1998, 250 new patients arriving at the General Dentistry Clinic of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding behavior by dental professionals and its effect on dental care. Surveys were returned by 121 women and 82 men, who evaluated seven behaviors from five previously determined categories of anxiety. Age and gender were the only factors considered in analyzing the results. The data suggest that dentists often may exhibit a variety of negative behaviors and attitudes. These can cause increased levels of concern in patients and may act as fear-provoking stimuli, leading to increased fear and avoidance of dental treatment.

Adolescent↗