1. An important cause of dental phobia, dental anxiety and dental fear is previous conditioning. This means that you would have had a previously unpleasant experience at the dentist. Let’s take an example. Let’s say that last time you had to have a tooth extraction and it turned out to be difficult and took a …
Angular Cheilitis is actually a physical appearance of a lesion characterised by red inflammation to the angles of the mouth. It is not an actual diagnosis but a clinical sign. It is most commonly seen in the older person with dentures. There is a primary infection TOGETHER with other multifactorial conditions which predispose the patient to the …
Sjogren’s Syndrome is an auto immune disorder where the body produces an increase in beta lymphocytes which infiltrate exocrine glands, mainly salivary and lacrimal glands destroying the tissue. An antigen has been identified and established. The condition is 10 times more common amongst women than men and the peak onset is during the menopause. The …
A dentist must have good clinical skills but equally as important is how they can deal with nervous patients. Patients who are phobic have poorer oral health and we know that oral health has a significant impact on the quality of life, appearance, and self-esteem of a person. Firstly, identify these patients. The dentist must …
Gestalt psychology is a school of thought that looks at the human mind and behavior as a whole. When trying to make sense of the world around us, Gestalt psychology suggests that we do not simply focus on every small component. Have you ever noticed how a series of flashing lights often appear to be moving, but …
Dementia describes a group of symptoms that cause the gradual decline of the brain’s function. It occurs therefore when different diseases affect the brain and cause symptoms of dementia. Although it most often occurs as you get older, it is not a normal part of ageing. Some of the most common types of dementia conditions …
Resin bonded adhesive bridges have been around for a long time. They were initially designed as temporary solutions for young patients who had a missing front anterior tooth. For these young patients, it was usually caused by an accident such as falling in the playground or a sports injury known as avulsion. Sometimes an anterior …
A periodontal endodontic lesion is known as a “perio-endo” lesion. They can be of different sources in relation to either the pulp or the PDL ( the periodontal ligament). On a radiograph, a perio-endo lesion shows up as radiolucency at the apex and traveling up all the way to the CEJ ( the cement enamel …
Hans found stress as a physiological coping mechanism due to a fixed event. Negative stimulus results in the body responding physiologically such as an increased heart rate, mobilization of glucose into the bloodstream, release of adrenaline and more rapid breathing. Although Richard Lazarus, he researched this further and described it as a more dynamic process. He …
Dental fear and anxiety are often used interchangeably however there is a distinct difference between the two. Anxiety is part of the normal response to everyday events. However, it is harmful if anxiety occurs excessively over a long time. Anxiety always precedes the actual encounter. The actual encounter may be real or it may be imagined. Anxiety …