Research in May Issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association
Posted: April 25, 2014
The latest research in the May issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) includes an article exploring the association between gagging during dental treatment and fear of the dentist and another exploring the role that dental school debt plays in the career paths of new dentists.
Gagging and Its Associations With Dental Care–Related Fear, Fear of Pain and Beliefs About Treatment
The authors of “Gagging and Its Associations With Dental Care–Related Fear, Fear of Pain and Beliefs About Treatment” surveyed participants and concluded that patients who have a higher frequency of gagging problems during a dental visit are more likely to experience higher levels of dental care-related fear and fear of pain, as well as to have more negative beliefs about dental professionals and dental treatment.
The authors recommend that dentists assess their patients’ likelihood of gagging, address their fears and anxieties and provide anxiety-relieving tips to calm their patients before dental treatment. The authors reported that some dentists encourage patients to breathe slowly and rhythmically through their noses while others encourage patients to lift their legs or wiggle their toes to distract themselves during the procedure.
The article was written by Cameron L. Randall MS, Richard J. Crout, DMD, PhD, and Daniel W. McNeil, PhD., of West Virginia University, Morgantown, and Grant P. Shulman of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The ADA’s Mouthhealthy.org website offers the following tips to ease anxiety in the dental office:
Share your anxiety. If you're tense or anxious, tell your dentist and the dental staff. Getting your concerns out in the open will let your dentist adapt the treatment to your needs.
Help yourself. Choose a time for your dental visit when you're less likely to be rushed or under pressure. For some people, that means a Saturday or an early-morning appointment.
Wear headphones. If the sound of the drill bothers you, bring headphones so you can listen to your favorite music. Some dental offices even show television or DVDs. During the dental visit you might try visualizing yourself relaxing on a warm beach.
“Educational Debt and Intended Employment Choice Among Dental School Seniors”
Authors examine the association between dental school debt and career choices in the article, “Educational Debt and Intended Employment Choice Among Dental School Seniors.” Research revealed that dental graduates with high educational debt are more likely to pursue private practice, but noted that debt didn’t play as big a role as originally thought. Instead, the characteristics of the new dentist—such as sex, race and whether a parent is a dentist—plays a larger role in whether a recent graduate chooses to work in private practice, public health, or teaching, research or administration.
The article was written by Tanya Wanchek, PhD, JD., from the University of Virginia, Sean Nicholson, PhD, from Cornel University, NY, Marko Vujicic, PhD., and Adriana Menezes from the ADA’s Health Policy Resources Center, and Anthony Ziebert, DDS, MS, from the ADA’s Division of Education and Professional Affairs.
Additional articles in the May 2014 issue of JADA include:
Dental Care Utilization: The Effect of Growing Income Disparities on U.S. Adults’ Dental Care Utilization
Authors measure the gap in dental care utilization between poor and nonpoor adults at the state level and show how the gap has changed over time.
Fluoride Performance Measure: Longitudinal Outcomes of Using a Fluoride Performance Measure for Adults at High Risk of Experiencing Caries
Authors conduct a retrospective longitudinal analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of a fluoride performance measure in reducing restoration rates in veterans at high risk of experiencing caries.
Case Report: Swallowed and Aspirated Dental Prostheses and Instruments in Clinical Dental Practice: A Report of Five Cases and a Proposed Management Algorithm
Authors present three cases of accidental swallowing of dental instruments during procedures and two cases of aspiration, one during a dental procedure and one long after the procedure.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis: An Epidemiologic Investigation of Occupational Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection to Dental Health Care Personnel: Infection Prevention and Control Implications
Authors describe a case of a dental hygienist who developed pulmonary tuberculosis, worked for several months while infectious and likely transmitted Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a dental setting.
Diagnostic Challenge: Limited Jaw Opening
Authors ask readers to diagnose a case of a patient who visited an oral and maxillofacial surgery clinic for extraction of four unerupted third molars and was found to have a markedly restricted jaw opening.
Critical Summaries: Antibiotic Prophylaxis Reduces Infectious Complications but Increases Adverse Effects After Third-Molar Extraction in Healthy Patients
Authors provide a critical summary of a systematic review in which researchers found moderate-quality evidence that the benefits versus associated risks may not justify the routine use of antibiotic prophylaxis for third-molar extractions in healthy adults.
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