• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.173-185
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• 2024

Background: Excessive fear of dental procedures leads to disruptive behavior during dental examinations and treatments. Dental examinations and treatments of these patients usually require additional techniques, such as sedation. The most commonly used techniques are inhalation of nitrous oxide, infusion of propofol with fentanyl, and premedication and infusion of midazolam. Methods: A prospective observational epidemiological study was conducted on patients who required sedoanalgesia techniques for dental exploration and procedures. The reasons for the inability of patients to cooperate (excessive fear or intellectual disability), age, sex, weight, systemic pathology, oral pathology, treatment performed, time of intervention, anesthetic technique performed, and occurrence of complications were recorded. Results: In total, 218 patients were studied. Sixty-five patients came for fear of dental treatment and 153 for presenting with a diagnosis of intellectual disability and not collaborating in the treatment with local anesthesia. The average age of all patients was 30.54±17.30 years. The most frequent oral pathologies found in patients with excessive fear were tartar (6.8%) and wisdom teeth (6.4%), followed by missing teeth (5%). In patients with disabilities, a combination of tartar and cavities appeared most frequently (41.3%), followed by cavities (15.6%). The most frequently used sedoanalgesia technique was the infusion of propofol with fentanyl in both groups of patients, followed by nitrous oxide. Conclusion: The combination of propofol and fentanyl was the most frequently used alternative in patients who were unable to collaborate because of intellectual disability or carry out longer or more complex treatments. Inhaled nitrous oxide and midazolam were the sedative techniques of choice for simpler oral treatments, such as tartrectomies, shallow obturations, and shorter interventions, or in younger patients.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.695-703
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between dental fear and subjective oral health-related quality of life. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was filled out by 320 subjects in Seoul and Gyeonggido from June to August, 2014 after permission from Institutional Review Board (IRB). Except incomplete 9 copies, 311 data were analyzed using SPSS WIN 19.0 program. The questionnaire consisted of five questions of the general characteristics of the subjects, twelve questions of oral health related quality of life, eighteen questions of dental fear, and one question of awareness toward subjective health status. Results: The explanation power of subjective oral health-related quality of life on dental fear was 26.2 percent. As the subjective oral health-related quality of life increased by 1 point, the dental fear decreased at the rate of 0.645 (p<0.001). Conclusions: Higher subjective oral health-related quality of life will diminish the dental fear. Regular dental checkups and preventive treatment are very important to enhance the oral health-related quality of life in those who visit the dental clinic.

• Journal of The Korean Dental Society of Anesthesiology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.209-213
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• 2010

Anxiety and fear is two main factors that keep patients from going to dental clinic. Especially, patients may feel implants operations are more traumatic. Intravenous conscious sedation for dental treatment can make patient comfortable and relaxable. Midazolam is more popular for sedation for dental treatment, but target-controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol and remifentanil is gaining wide popularity. A 54-year-old female patient who had severe dental phobia was referred to our dental hospital. She had past history of 2 times of hyperventilation and syncope during dental treatment. The patient showed a lot of dental anxiety and fear to dental treatments and stress reduction protocol was needed. We administered intravenous conscious sedation using target controlled infusion system with remifentanil and propofol. During sedation, we monitored the status of consciousness with bispectral index and vital signs. Dental treatment could be finished successfully without any problems.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.12
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• pp.401-409
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the oral health care and self-rated health status of adults visiting dental clinics in the region of Busan and influential factors for their dental fear from January to May, 2017, in an effort to obtain some information on how to relieve fear. As for dental fear, adults who were in their 30s, who were homemakers and whose monthly income ranged from 4 to 4.99 million won. In regard to fear according to oral health care, dental fear caused by the treatment avoidance factor was stronger among the adults who didn't receive dental checkups and who brushed their teeth in the wrong way. Dental fear that was attributed to the physiological reaction factor and the stimuli-inducing factor was severer among the adults who didn't receive dental checkups and who had no scaling experience. Overall fear was severer among the adults who didn't receive dental checkups and who changed their toothbrushes every four or more months. The factors that affected dental fear were self-rated health status, self-rated oral health status, gender, age, whether to receive dental checkups on a regular basis or not, and oral health education experience. Therefore in order to alleviate dental fear, self-rated health status should be improved, and the kind of system that encourages regular dental checkups and provides oral health education should be prepared.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.198-204
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• 2016

This research studied the relevance of oral symptoms and fear to find solutions for prevention and treatment at the right time. The study was conducted over a three-month period from September to November 2015. College students who lived in the region of Busan were surveyed, and the data from 288 respondents were analyzed. The female students felt a higher level of fear in every item than the males. To be specific, there were statistically significant differences in postponing the appointment (p=0.014), tension during treatment (p=0.001), dread when making the appointment (p=0.001), dread upon arrival (p=0.001), dread in the waiting room (p=0.001), dread of dental smells (p=0.006), dread while undergoing anesthesia (p<0.001), dread when receiving an injection (p<0.001), dread when looking at a tool for tooth preparation (p<0.001), dread of the sound of a tool for tooth preparation (p<0.001), dread of the feelings of tooth preparation (p<0.001), dread during scaling(p<0.001), and apprehension about the entire treatment (p<0.001). Concerning the fear level according to oral symptom awareness, the respondents with dental caries experienced a higher level of fear in terms of treatment avoidance (p=0.001), physiological reactions (p=0.001) and overall Dental Fear Survey (DFS)(p=0.003), and the students whose teeth were broken had a higher level of fear in terms of treatment avoidance (p=0.010), stimulus factors (p=0.031) and overall DFS (P=0.019). The students who had a missing tooth felt a higher level of fear in terms of physiological reactions (p=0.019) and overall DFS (p=0.033), and the respondents with gingival pain felt a higher level of pain in terms of the stimulus factors (p=0.013) and overall DFS (p=0.034). Therefore, college students should be educated to visit a dental clinic when they are aware of any oral symptom, and methods to reduce the stimulus factors as much as possible should be considered carefully to relieve dental fear.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.395-404
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• 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of music intervention on the patient's fear and anxiety during scaling. Methods: 360 patients who had visited W University dental hygiene laboratory were selected as study subjects and divided into experiment group and control group. Results: Study results showed that the control group (71.9%) and the experimental group (75.1%) had experiences avoiding dental treatment due to fear. In the control group (37.6%) and experimental group (40.6%), the highest influencing factor was the sound of machine and followed by pain. The experimental group preferred classical music, followed by pop songs, trot music and instrumental music. In the experimental group (83.3%), fear and anxiety were alleviated by music, and 77.9% of the patients mentioned they would recommend music for scaling to other patients. There was an interaction effect (p=0.014) between the groups before and after the measurement of the lowest blood pressure. There was a significant difference in pulse before and after pulse measurement (p=0.000). There was a significant difference in respiration between groups (p=0.042) and before and after respiration (p=0.030). Conclusions: Study results showed that music intervention that utilizes music during scaling showed significant effects on the alleviation of fear and anxiety, affecting Pulse number among vital signs. Therefore, more systematic program is to be required to alleviate dental fear and anxiety with music therapy not only for scaling, but also for dental clinic in the future.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.171-184
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• 1998

The purpose of the study was to observe the association between the main colors of school children's drawings of dental treatment situation and their dental anxiety. The subjects of study were 688 school children from 2nd to 4th grade. Caries experience was investigated by oral examination. Questionnaire survey was done regarding children's attitude toward the dentist and dental treatment and their experience of pain and fear during the dental treatment. Colors with high frequency of use were green, blue, yellow, orange, pink, purple, gray, brown, yellow ochre, red, white, and black in order. Boys used green and blue, and girls used yellow and orange, more than each other. As the grade increased, white, yellow, and blue increased and brown decreased. Colors with high dental anxiety level were black, brown, red, white, blue, orange, yellow and green, yellow ochre, gray, pink, and purple in order, and the upper four represented 10.5% of the subjects. Children with high decayed teeth rate had a tendency to use colors of high dental anxiety level. Black color had the most obvious association with the pain and fear of dental treatment.

• Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.777-786
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the influencing factors on anxiety and depression before and after prosthetic treatment in the patients. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 248 patients with tooth loss and over 20 years old. The questionnaire was carried out before and after oral examination and dental prosthetic treatment from July to December, 2013. The study instruments included Beck's anxiety inventory and self-rating depression scale by Zung. The questionnaire was adapted and modified from Kwon's anxiety inventory and Lee's depression scale. Results: While the anxiety level increased from 69.4% to 78.2% in the normal people, the depression level changed from 53.2% to 64.1% in the normal people. The gender variable had a positive effect on anxiety and depression while educational level had a negative effect on them. The dental fear was closely related to anxiety and depression before and after the prosthetic treatment. The entire body health perception showed a negative effect on anxiety and depression. The distrust towards the dentist had an influence on the anxiety and depression in the prosthetic patients. Conclusions: The influencing factors on anxiety and depression in the prosthetic patients included gender, dental fear, entire body perception, and distrust towards the dentist.

• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.341-348
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• 2007

We dentists perform many of routine dental procedures and must deal with much of the population's dental anxiety and fear. Dentists have used many non-pharmacological modalities initially to overcome anxiety and fear, including distraction, empathy, desensitization, and so on. However, certain patients need pharmacological backup of anxiety and fear to conquer dental treatment. This article presents four cases to introduce the methods from nitrous oxide and oxygen inhalation to general anesthesia for difficult adult dental phobic patients to deal with.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.102-109
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• 2017

This study is to seek a method to alleviate fear of dental treatment among college students. Research objects are students in public health department and those in other departments on. B University located in area A from April 5, 2017 to April 12, 2017. They were provided with education, and given two surveys before and after the education. The survey data were analyzed with the SPSS 19.0 program using T-test. The findings of the analysis are as follows. After the education, fear of dental treatment was reduced more among students in the public Health Department than among those in other departments. After education on dental treatment, there were greater changes in oral health among students in non-public health departments than those in the Public Health Department. There were grater changes in oral health among students in the Public Health Department than those in other departments. It is necessary to cultivate dental technicians through efficient and professional education, and those dental technicians should serve to reduce fear of dental care among the people, and change consciousness on such treatments. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop efficient education programs to reduce fear and increase the consciousness of dental health among people, and make people not afraid of coming to dental clinic.