Learning objectives
By the end of the course, students will demonstrate increased abilities to use appropriate and effective interpersonal skills in dental workplace environments.
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
• Define fear, anxiety, phobia, and pain. Describe how they are related.
• List some of the methods of assessment of dental fear or phobia.
• Describe the physiological reactions to fear stimuli.
• List common reasons for patient's fear of dentistry.
• List some current methods used by dentists to reduce the anxiety of their patients.
• Describe the role of the dental staff in reducing patient anxiety.
• List actions that experts recommend avoiding in order to reduce patient anxiety.
• Describe ways of teaching the patient to relax during dental treatment.
• List the conditions when is it appropriate to refer the patient to a mental health professional or a dental fears treatment clinic associated with a dental school.
Students will be able to know a number of non-pharmacological (behavioural and cognitive) techniques that can be used in the dental clinic or surgery in order to assist anxious individuals and their evidence base.
They also will be able to identifying dental fear and understanding its aetiology, nature and associated components.
Prerequisites
None
Course unit content
What do I need to know and do to successfully accomplish the human side of my job? Effective interpersonal communication skills are essential to profession functioning. An highly interactive face-to-face course that provides opportunities for students to develop the necessary skills to effectively function as a member of a dental team.
Definition of fear, anxiety, phobia, and pain and their relationships. Methods of assessment of dental fear or phobia. The physiological reactions to fear stimuli. Methods used by dentists to reduce the anxiety of their patients. The role of the dental staff in reducing patient anxiety. The conditions when is it appropriate to refer the patient to a mental health professional or a dental fears treatment clinic associated with a dental school.
Non-pharmacological (behavioural and cognitive) techniques that can be used in the dental clinic or surgery in order to assist anxious individuals and their evidence base.
Full programme
What do I need to know and do to successfully accomplish the human side of my job? Effective interpersonal communication skills are essential to profession functioning. An highly interactive face-to-face course that provides opportunities for students to develop the necessary skills to effectively function as a member of a dental team.
Definition of fear, anxiety, phobia, and pain and their relationships. Methods of assessment of dental fear or phobia. The physiological reactions to fear stimuli. Methods used by dentists to reduce the anxiety of their patients. The role of the dental staff in reducing patient anxiety. The conditions when is it appropriate to refer the patient to a mental health professional or a dental fears treatment clinic associated with a dental school.
Non-pharmacological (behavioural and cognitive) techniques that can be used in the dental clinic or surgery in order to assist anxious individuals and their evidence base.
Bibliography
The following scientific paper will be discussed during the course lessons:
1) Hofer et al. BMC Oral Health (2016). Pre-treatment anxiety in a dental hygiene recall population: a cross-sectional pilot study. 16, 43. DOI 10.1186/s12903-016-0198-8.
2) Sharma, S., et al. (2015). Assessment of relationship between pain and anxiety following dental extraction—A prospective study. Pain Studies and Treatment, 3, 23-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/pst.2015.33003.
3) Harmfield, J.M & Heaton, L.J. (2013). Management of fear and anxiety in the dental clinic: a review. Australian Dental Journal 2013; 58: 390–407. doi: 10.1111/adj.12118.
Teaching methods
This highly interactive course emphasizes learning through doing. Working individually or in small groups, students are involved in focused practice, analysis and interpretation of techniques, methods and data from scientific papers. A discussion-based teaching model is used with the expectation that students actively participate in and extract meaning from papers, case studies, simulations and role plays.
Video tutorial and exercise may accompany the lessons.
Students are likely to participate in research activities into the Cognitive Psychology Laboratory.
Assessment methods and criteria
A face-to-face individual or group evaluation
Other information
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