Daly Kelly A, Heyman Richard E, Drew Alison L, Smith Slep Amy M, Bubis Rochelle, Lee Jahyung Jai, Pearce Victoria V V, Jones Racquel, Ruggiero Marissa, Wolff Mark S
College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, NY 10010, USA.
School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Oral (Basel). 2024 Dec;4(4):589-599. doi: 10.3390/oral4040046. Epub 2024 Dec 6.
With an estimated global prevalence rate of over 30%, dental fear is a ubiquitous public health phenomenon. Dental fear's adverse effects on patient oral health and quality of life are well established; the stresses and financial repercussions it can pose to providers are increasingly recognized. Although dental fear is highly treatable, a disseminable intervention that satisfies the needs of patients and dental care providers has yet to be realized.
We sought to understand allied dental professionals' experiences treating patients with dental fear and their impressions of, and receptivity to, a stepped-care approach, including perceived barriers and facilitators to its adoption.
Thirteen semi-structured focus groups comprising students in (a) current dental hygiene programs and (b) other dental programs, who had prior experience working as licensed dental hygienists or allied professionals (i.e., dental assistants, dental therapists, dental treatment coordinators; = 49) were conducted. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.
Participant responses supported the need for innovation in managing dental fear in practices, and supported hygienists as likely facilitators of any new behavioral approach. Overall, participants were receptive to the idea of a stepped-care treatment approach but identified several factors (e.g., accessibility, costs, treatment credibility) that would need to be addressed for its adoption by patients and dental professionals.
A stepped-care approach to dental fear treatment has promise to meet the needs of patients and dental professionals. Potential barriers and facilitators to adoption provide a roadmap for future intervention refinement and efficacy testing.
据估计，全球牙科恐惧症患病率超过30%，是一种普遍存在的公共卫生现象。牙科恐惧症对患者口腔健康和生活质量的不利影响已得到充分证实；人们也越来越认识到它会给医疗服务提供者带来压力和经济影响。尽管牙科恐惧症是高度可治疗的，但尚未找到一种能满足患者和牙科护理提供者需求且可推广的干预措施。
我们试图了解牙科相关专业人员治疗牙科恐惧症患者的经历，以及他们对逐步护理方法的看法和接受程度，包括采用该方法的感知障碍和促进因素。
开展了13个半结构化焦点小组讨论，参与者包括（a）当前牙科保健项目的学生和（b）其他牙科项目的学生，他们之前有作为持牌牙科保健员或相关专业人员（即牙科助理、牙科治疗师、牙科治疗协调员；共49人）工作的经验。焦点小组讨论进行了录音、转录和主题分析。
参与者的回答支持在实践中管理牙科恐惧症方面进行创新的必要性，并支持保健员可能成为任何新行为方法的促进者。总体而言，参与者接受逐步护理治疗方法的理念，但确定了几个因素（如可及性、成本、治疗可信度），患者和牙科专业人员采用该方法时需要解决这些因素。
牙科恐惧症治疗的逐步护理方法有望满足患者和牙科专业人员的需求。采用该方法的潜在障碍和促进因素为未来干预措施的改进和疗效测试提供了路线图。
