Dentists' views on fearful patients. Problems and promises

A large number of patients treated in the general dental health service in Western countries report dental fear to some degree. Dentists' views of treating these fearful patients are not well described in the literature.Therefore, the aims of the study were to explore dentists' attitudes towards, experience of, and feelings about treating fearful patients. The sample consisted of 1293 members of the Association of Public Health Dentists in Sweden who were asked to respond to a web survey concerning dental fear. The response rate was 69% (n = 889).The majority of the responding dentists stated that dental fear is a problem in routine dental care,treating patients with dental fear is a positive challenge and they felt they were making a contribution.They also reported that treating patients with dental fear is associated with hard work, poor revenues, and little appreciation by employers. Female dentists reported a greater proportion of patients with dental fear and greater self-efficacy regarding the treatment of these patients, compared with their male colleagues. Dentists trained in other EU countries reported stress more often and less perceived contribution when treating fearful patients, compared with colleagues trained in Sweden. CONCLUSION: Dentists' views of treating fearful patients are mainly positive; however, it is problematic that dentists feel stress and that dentists who treat many fearful patients feel their employers do not appreciate their efforts.     

Practices and opinions of Connecticut general dentists regarding dental treatment during pregnancy

This study aimed to evaluate the opinions and practices of general dentists in Connecticut regarding dental care during pregnancy. A survey was mailed to Connecticut general dentists to acquire data regarding age, gender, training, type of practice, years in practice, payment types accepted, procedures provided for pregnant women according to trimester, provider comfort level with treating pregnant patients, reasons for not treating pregnant patients, and provider opinions about dental care during pregnancy. The response rate was 42%, yielding a sample of 116 dentists. The majority of respondents (97%) reported treating pregnant patients; however, only 45% felt "very comfortable" treating these patients. All dentists in the sample agreed that physicians need to include an oral health evaluation and appropriate referral for patients' prenatal care. However, 70% of respondents had never received a dental referral for a pregnant patient. The majority of dentists favored providing dental treatment during the second trimester of pregnancy. Most dentists (77%) would take a radiograph for a patient 10 weeks into the pregnancy seeking treatment for dental pain, but only 2% would take routine radiographs regardless of the pregnancy trimester. There was a lack of consensus about medications dentists reported acceptable to prescribe for pregnant patients, and female dentists were significantly less likely than males to prescribe ibuprofen (P < 0.05). At least half of the respondents reported not being completely comfortable treating pregnant patients. Further, many dentists appear to not follow medication prescribing guidelines for this population. While additional research is needed, these initial results indicate that additional education regarding the treatment of pregnant patients would be a beneficial addition to dental school and continued education course curricula.     

Treating dental patients who use oral antithrombotic medication: a survey of dentists in the Netherlands

BackgroundFor many years, international guidelines have advised health care professionals not to adjust oral antithrombotic medication (OAM) regimens before invasive dental procedures. The authors conducted a study to examine the opinions of Dutch general dentists regarding the dental care of patients receiving treatment with these medications.MethodsThe authors invited via e-mail 1,442 general dentists in the Netherlands to answer a 20-item Internet-based questionnaire that they developed. Survey items consisted of questions about medical history taking, number of patients in the dental practice receiving OAM therapy, frequency of consulting with medical and dental colleagues and suggested dental treatment of patients during various invasive dental procedures.ResultsA total of 487 questionnaires were returned (response rate of 34 percent). The mean age of respondents was 47 years, and 77 percent were male. The majority of dentists responded that they obtain medical histories, but that they did not know how many of their patients were receiving OAM treatment. Dentists reported that they consult with medical colleagues frequently about antithrombotic medication. Ninety-one percent of respondents stated that they obtained their medical knowledge primarily in dental school. More than 50 percent of the dentists reported that they were not familiar with the international normalized ratio. The majority of dentists responded that they felt a need for clinical practice guidelines.ConclusionsAccording to the results of our survey, most dentists remain cautious when performing invasive dental procedures in patients who are treated with OAMs. Moreover, survey respondents tended to estimate that the risk of bleeding during dental procedures when OAM therapy is continued is higher than the risk of rethrombosis when use of antithrombotic medication is interrupted.Clinical ImplicationsA growing proportion of elderly patients and those with medically complex conditions are being treated in dental practices in the Netherlands. Consequently, more needs to be done to ensure that dentists are offered evidence-based guidance when treating patients who receive OAMs.     

Major depressive disorder. Psychopathology, medical management and dental implications

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder, or MDD, is a psychiatric illness in which mood, thoughts and behavioral patterns are impaired for long periods. The illness distresses the person and impairs his or her social functioning and quality of life. MDD is characterized by marked sadness or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, and is accompanied by weight change, sleep disturbance, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, physical impairment and a high suicide rate. In 2000, the World Health Organization, or WHO, identified MDD as the fourth ranked cause of disability and premature death in the world. WHO projected that by 2020, MDD would rise in disease burden to be second only to ischemic heart disease. The disorder is common in the United States, with a lifetime prevalence rate of 17 percent and a recurrence rate of more than 50 percent. CONCLUSIONS: MDD may be associated with extensive dental disease, and people may seek dental treatment before becoming aware of their psychiatric illness. MDD frequently is associated with a disinterest in performing appropriate oral hygiene techniques, a cariogenic diet, diminished salivary flow, rampant dental caries, advanced periodontal disease and oral dysesthesias. Many medications used to treat the disease magnify the xerostomia and increase the incidence of dental disease. Appropriate dental management requires a vigorous dental education program, the use of saliva substitutes and anticaries agents containing fluoride, and special precautions when prescribing or administering analgesics and local anesthetics. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Dentists cognizant of these signs and symptoms have an opportunity to recognize patients with occult MDD. After confirmation of the diagnosis and institution of treatment by a mental health practitioner, dentists usually can provide a full range of services that may enhance patients' self-esteem and contribute to the psychotherapeutic aspect of management.     

Dentists' experience with low-income patients benefiting from a public insurance program

France has a system of public coverage that guarantees low-income earners full payment of basic dental health costs. In spite of this coverage and major needs for care, deprived populations have lower access to dental care. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore dentists' experience with low-income patients benefiting from the French universal healthcare coverage system. This study is based on 17 one-on-one semistructured interviews carried out with French private dentists. Dentists distinguished two categories of low-income patients: 'good patients', described as being regular attenders; and 'bad patients', whose main characteristic is irregular attendance. Dentists explained that they have difficulties in dealing with patients who do not keep their appointments. First, dentists feel that they fail in conducting their mission of being a care provider (therapeutic failure). The absence of the patient is also seen as a lack of recognition (relationship failure). Furthermore, dentists do not earn money when patients miss their appointments (financial failure). In this context, many dentists feel discouraged and powerless (personal failure). Moreover, dentists do not understand why patients renounce the dental-care opportunities offered under the system of public coverage (failure of the system). Dentists who repeatedly experience failures related to irregular attendance tend to adopt exclusion strategies.     

Antidepressant use in psychiatry and medicine: importance for dental practice

BACKGROUND: Many dental patients receive antidepressant therapy. However, antidepressants taken with other drugs may increase the risk of complications that require special dental precautions and care. METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective study of 1,800 randomly selected patient records and evaluated the prevalence of using antidepressants and other medications concurrently. They analyzed antidepressant intake relative to drug classification and mechanism of action, age, sex and associated potential for clinical complications such as xerostomia, orthostatic hypotension and interaction with vasoconstrictors. The potential for additive adverse effects between antidepressants and other medications also was analyzed. RESULTS: Three hundred eighty-one (21 percent) of the 1,800 patient records indicated that patients were being treated with 412 antidepressants. Female subjects out-numbered male subjects by an approximate 2.3:1 ratio. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were most commonly prescribed, followed by tricyclic antidepressants, atypical and third-generation antidepressants, and monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Based on reported medication intake, almost 58 percent of subjects in the antidepressant group were receiving treatment with two or more medications that had the potential for producing xerostomia. Two hundred fifty-seven (67 percent) of the 381 records documented intake of an antidepressant or other medication with orthostatic hypotension potential. CONCLUSIONS: Three hundred eighty-one patients reported that they were receiving antidepressant therapy for psychiatric and other medical reasons. Potential adverse effects and interactions with other medications have direct implications for dental treatment. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Patients receiving antidepressant therapy are at risk of developing xerostomia and orthostatic hypotension, as well as experiencing the adverse effects of interaction with vasoconstrictors. Dentists must take appropriate precautions in treating these patients.     

Dental case management: increasing access to oral health care for families and children with low incomes

BACKGROUND: Medicaid beneficiaries have lower rates of dental visits and higher rates of dental disease compared with the rest of the population. Beneficiaries ascribe their low use of services to difficulties finding dentists who treat patients with Medicaid. Dentists cite low reimbursement rates, excessive paperwork, and patients' not keeping appointments and poor oral health literacy as reasons for not accepting patients with Medicaid. The authors pilot-tested the effectiveness of a dental case management program (DCMP) in increasing dentists' participation in Medicaid and Medicaid beneficiaries' use of services. METHODS: A dental case manager recruits dentists to participate in the Medicaid program, arranges training in billing procedures, resolves billing and payment problems, educates clients about the use of dental services and keeping appointments, links clients to dental offices, identifies potential barriers to care and helps clients obtain transportation to appointments. The authors evaluated the levels of participation of dentists in the DCMP in Medicaid and Medicaid beneficiaries' use of services. RESULTS: Dentists accepting new Medicaid patients increased from two to 28, with 145 dental visits a month provided to Medicaid beneficiaries. The percentage of Medicaid beneficiaries receiving dental services increased from 9 to 41 percent after the DCMP was implemented. CONCLUSIONS: The authors found that the DCMP was effective in increasing Medicaid beneficiaries' use of services, increasing dentists' participation in Medicaid, minimizing administrative burdens related to Medicaid participation, and increasing oral health literacy and treatment compliance among clients with low incomes.     

Identifying rosacea: what all dentists should know

BACKGROUND: Dentists frequently encounter adult patients who have facial rosacea. This common dermatologic condition can undermine a patient's appearance. Although rosacea can be progressive, the condition responds well to treatment, especially when started early. RESULTS: This article will help dentists recognize rosacea and differentiate it from other dermatologic disorders. Clinicians then will be able to refer patients suspected of having rosacea to the appropriate medical specialist for confirmation of the diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSION: Dentists can provide a service to patients to improve their overall health and appearance by early recognition of this condition. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Recognizing rosacea in dental patients and properly referring them for diagnosis and treatment constitutes a medical service that is relatively easy for dentists to perform. This service, in addition to others, such as measuring blood pressure, will make the dental examination more comprehensive.     

The effects of antihypertensive medication on dental treatment

Hypertension is a medical problem that impacts on health worldwide. A number of different medications are used to treat hypertension. These drugs can affect the mouth and perioral structures and impact upon dental management. It is therefore important that dentists are aware of the side-effects and relevant drug interactions that occur in patients on antihypertensive medication. Clinical Relevance: Dentists will encounter patients receiving antihypertensive therapy and should be aware of how these drugs impact upon dental treatment.     

Stem cells in dentistry and medicine: the dentist's role

Research has shown that teeth are a source of high quality stem cells that may be used for the treatment of medical and dental disease. The discovery that odontogenic tissues are a source of adult stem cells has opened up a new role for dentists in the field of medicine. Dentists are positioned to become one of the key providers of stem cells, and as a result, their linkage with the medical field will become very intimate. Dental stem cells have the potential to be used in the treatment of a full range of oral pathoses. Dentists can be involved in the extraction, collection, and storage of the stem cells from their patients' teeth. Ongoing research suggests that these stem cells will soon be used for dental purposes such as to replace lost bone around teeth, periodontal ligament or dental pulp; treat periodontal disease; and someday even produce new teeth, as well as for medical applications. In order for dentists to fully participate in this new role, they should become aware of the applications, clinical use, and banking of dental stem cells.     

Dentists' participation in capitation and preferred provider organization dental plans

BACKGROUND: In 1998, the American Dental Association Survey Center conducted a telephone and mail survey of U.S dentists in private practice in an effort to determine the extent of dentists' participation in capitation and preferred provider organization, or PPO, dental plans and the characteristics of dentists who participate in those plans. METHODS: An initial phone screening survey was conducted with a random sample of 11,550 dentists in private practice. Dentists who indicated that they participated in capitation or PPO dental plans received a follow-up mail survey asking specific questions concerning these two types of dental plans. RESULTS: Almost one-half of responding dentists indicated that they participated in either capitation or PPO dental plans. However, far more dentists reported participating in PPO dental plans than in capitation dental plans. The majority of participating dentists' patients were reported to be fee-for-service patients. CONCLUSIONS: Dentists' participation in PPO dental plans generally increased from that indicated in previous surveys, though participation in capitation plans declined. There was some regional and demographic variation in participation in these dental plans, but such differences were not large. Pricing and concerns about quality of care continue to be the primary concerns of nonparticipating dentists. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Dentists reporting participation in PPO dental plans are becoming more common, but such plans still do not cover the majority of participating dentists' patients. A large percentage of nonparticipating dentists cite pricing and concerns about quality care as reasons for not joining these plans.     

Treating patients with traumatic life experiences: Providing trauma-informed care

Background and OverviewDentists frequently treat patients who have a history of traumatic events. These traumatic events (including childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, elder abuse and combat history) may influence how patients experience oral health care and may interfere with patients’ engagement in preventive care. The purpose of this article is to provide a framework for how dentists can interact sensitively with patients who have survived traumatic events.ConclusionsThe authors propose the trauma-informed care pyramid to help engage traumatized patients in oral health care. Evidence indicates that all of the following play an important role in treating traumatized patients: demonstrating strong behavioral and communication skills, understanding the health effects of trauma, engaging in interprofessional collaboration, understanding the provider's own trauma-related experiences and understanding when trauma screening should be used in oral health practice.Practical ImplicationsDental patients with a history of traumatic experiences are more likely to engage in negative health habits and to display fear of routine dental care. Although not all patients disclose a trauma history to their dentists, some patients might. The trauma-informed care pyramid provides a framework to guide dental care providers in interactions with many types of traumatized patients, including those who choose not to disclose their trauma history in the context of oral health care.     

An investigation into dentists' perceptions of barriers to providing care of dental trauma to permanent maxillary incisors in children in Victoria, Australia

BACKGROUND: Perceived barriers in the treatment of dental trauma may influence the optimum management of dental trauma. Any hesitation that dentists might have in managing dental trauma is important to investigate. The aim of this study was to investigate dentists' perceptions of barriers to providing care of dental trauma to permanent maxillary incisors in children. METHODS: A self-completion questionnaire survey containing six questions on demographic data and 15 questions relating to barriers to treating dental trauma was mailed to 693 dentists in Victoria, Australia. RESULTS: The response rate achieved was 61 per cent. Of the respondents, 90 per cent had no hesitation in treating dental injuries and 80 per cent of these frequently agreed that dentists should treat all dental trauma. Approximately half the dentists (51.5 per cent) frequently found uncooperative children to be the main barrier to providing care. CONCLUSION: The overall consensus from the present study was that treating dental trauma is not unappealing for dentists in general practice.     

Opinions on the provision of dental care in Iowa nursing homes

Using a stratified random sample, a questionnaire was mailed to 400 practicing dentists and 200 directors of nursing (DONs). Response rates were 58.3% for dentists and 50% for DONs. Dentists were representative of Iowa dentists, with 85% male, mean age 49.1 years, and 22.4 years in practice. All DONs were female, with mean age of 44.9 years. Of the participating dentists, 86% had provided dental care for nursing home residents, but the majority of care was completed in dental offices. Three‐quarters of dentists were somewhat/not interested in nursing home dentistry. Dentists and DONs held common perceptions of the most frequent problems related to care provision at nursing homes: low financial reimbursement, especially for Medicaid patients; no portable dental equipment; no suitable area for dentistry; dentist's preference to treat patients at their dental practice; and transportation of residents to a dental practice. Dentists and DONs had some differing perceptions about oral health care (p < .01). Minimal dental care was provided on‐site at Iowa nursing homes.     

Pretreatment for the cardiovascularly compromised geriatric dental patient: Geriatric Dentistry

As more elderly patients seek dental care, dentists will increasingly be confronted with growing numbers of ill patients on multiple medication regimes. Because cardiovascular disease is the largest disease entity in this age group and the greatest cause of morbidity and mortality, this paper has focused on the major types of cardiovascular disease, and the cardiac medications routinely prescribed. Possible interactions with dental procedures or medications and alternative dental treatments and medications are discussed. The need for the dentist to continually assess the stability of the patient's health and compliance with his or her prescribed treatment regimen is stressed, because through an awareness of the patient's medical status and level of compliance the dentist can determine a course of dental treatment that will not jeopardize the geriatric patient's already compromised cardiovascular health.     

Dental service provision in Victorian residential aged care facilities

BACKGROUND: The Australian population is ageing, and a growing proportion of elderly Australians are now living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). These residents are at high risk of developing dental diseases, have more teeth present now than at any time in the past 50 years and often have difficulty maintaining adequate oral hygiene. Traditionally, dental service provision has been problematic and sporadic for these residents. METHODS: A postal survey of a random sample of Victorian general dentists and Directors of Nursing (DONs) of Victorian RACFs was undertaken in 2006 to ascertain the participation of dentists in the provision of dental care and to identify factors impacting on the organization and provision of dental care for residents. RESULTS: The response rate for dentists was 57.3 per cent, and for DONs 64.4 per cent. Half of the dentists reported that they had provided care to residents of aged care facilities in the past 12 months, and they spent an average of one hour per month providing care. Overall, dentists were concerned with their level of undergraduate education and training in various aspects of dentistry for residents of aged care facilities. DONs reported significant difficulty obtaining adequate dental care for their residents. Common problems identified by both dentists and DONs included a preference for dentists to treat residents in their own practice, dentists not willing to go to RACFs and a lack of portable dental equipment for dentists to use. CONCLUSIONS: There were low levels of interest and participation from Victorian dentists in providing dental care for residents of aged care facilities. Dentists had a strong preference for treating patients at their own practice, and there were a number of significant barriers that appeared to impact on the provision of dental care in RACFs.     

Attitudes of the Victorian oral health workforce to the employment and scope of practice of dental hygienists

BACKGROUND: Increasing the number of dental hygienists and expanding their scope of practice are two policy directions that are currently being explored to increase the supply of dental services in the context of projected oral health workforce shortages in Australia. Understanding factors relating to the employment of hygienists and the attitudes of the oral health workforce to dental hygiene practice are important in this policy debate. METHODS: A postal survey of a random sample of Victorian dentists, periodontists, orthodontists and hygienists was undertaken in 2006. Dentists and specialists were grouped into those whose practice employed or did not employ a hygienist. Data on the attitudes of dentists, specialists and hygienists towards various aspects of dental hygiene practice were explored. RESULTS: A response rate of 65.3 per cent was achieved. Hygienists believed that their employment made dental care more affordable (53.7 per cent) and improved access to dental care (88.1 per cent), while few dentists believed hygienists made care more affordable. Most hygienists believed they were capable of diagnosing periodontal disease and dental caries and formulating a treatment plan, but there was less support from employers and non-employers. Dentists were strongly opposed to independent practice for dental hygienists, although there was qualified support from employers for increasing the scope of practice for hygienists. CONCLUSIONS: Dentists who worked with hygienists acknowledged their contribution to increasing practice profitability, efficiency and accessibility of dental services to patients. Hygienists and employers supported increasing the scope of dental hygiene practice, however the majority of non-employers opposed any expansion.