Negative effects of anxiety to dental treatment

[摘要] Introduction:Anxiety to dental treatment is a psychological phenomenon whose negative effectsin the adult patient have great impact from the points of view of psychologyand oral health. Objective: To carry out a bibliographic review about the negative effectsof anxiety on dental treatment in adult patients. Methods: A bibliographic review study on anxiety to dental treatmentand its effects on the individual was carried out, taking into considerationthe bibliography published in Google Academic, SciELO and Medline in the periodfrom January 2013 to December 2017. As a result, we obtained a total amountof 50 articles, 46 of them in international journals, one in a national journaland three books, of which 33 were used once the established exclusion criteriawere applied. Analysis and integration of the information: Non-adherence to dentaltreatment as a consequence of this anxiety is associated with the last visitmade to the dental office and the frequency with which they usually attend toreceive dental care, being the fundamental aspects considered to address thisphenomenon. Specifically, the effects on the dental organ and those of supportare the oral consequences reported in the current research, for referring tothe deterioration of oral health in relation to this psychological phenomenon.Patients anxious about dental treatment do not only suffer consequences on theiroral health, it is also possible to appreciate psychological consequences, mainlyassociated with negative emotions and social isolation of the individual asa result of their oral deterioration. Conclusions:Anxiety to dental treatment is the historical result of the beliefs and attitudesof the people, leading them to reject or avoid dental medicine as a medicalspecialty. Its effects are the result of non-adherence to treatment, bringingabout oral-health problems. Also, a considerable psychological effect is noticed.

[学科分类] 基础医学

[关键词] dental anxiety;adherence to treatment;oral diseases.