REVIEW   

Minerva Stomatologica 2019 December;68(6):317-31

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4970.19.04288-2

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Fear and anxiety managing methods during dental treatments: a systematic review of recent data

Rosa DE STEFANO ¹, Antonio BRUNO ¹, Maria R. MUSCATELLO ¹, Clemente CEDRO ¹, Gabriele CERVINO ¹, Luca FIORILLO ^{1, 2} ✉

¹ Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences, Morphological and Functional Images, G. Martino Polyclinic, University of Messina, Messina, Italy; ² Multidisciplinary Department of Medical-Surgical and Odontostomatological Specialties, Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campania, Naples, Italy

INTRODUCTION: The management of anxiety and fear of patients experiencing medical treatment is always a major issue. Dentistry is a branch of medicine that is daily in managing these problems, especially in the case of pediatric patients. Odontophobia can be managed in different ways, and the purpose of this study is to eventually review which methods are currently accepted and which are the most effective.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: The literature analysis was conducted on a number of articles, suitably skimmed, after a first research, obtained from the most common scientific databases. The number of works included in the review is 28.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: From the RCTs evaluated we could highlight that there are different methods in the literature, equally effective and certainly conditioned by the systemic condition of the patient. Another chapter instead turns out to be that linked to the management of the syndromic patient.
CONCLUSIONS: It is clear that there are different methods and equally different ways to manage our patients in the event of non-cooperation in the case of dental care. In addition to proper management by the clinician, in the literature methods linked to audiovisual distractions, hypnosis or pharmacological methods that produce conscious sedation are effectively reported.

KEY WORDS: Dental anxiety; Stress, psychological; Disease management; Dentistry