Smartphone-based exposure treatment for dental phobia: a pilot randomized clinical trial.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

High levels of dental care-related fear/anxiety, as well as phobia, result in delay or avoidance of dental care, which are associated with poorer oral and overall health. Both pharmacotherapeutic and psychosocial methods are available to treat those with high levels of dental fear/anxiety or phobia, but they are infrequently used and not easily accessed. Smartphones are a potential vehicle for delivering exposure therapy (e.g., a treatment involving systematic encounter with fear-evoking stimuli), but there is a need to test the acceptability of this approach in regard to treatment of high levels of dental anxiety/fear and phobia.

Methods

There were 36 patients with high dental anxiety/fear/phobia randomly assigned to either a treatment or a waitlist condition. Pa

SUBMITTER: Arias MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7885165 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature