Acupuncture can calm highly anxious dental patients, ensuring that they are given the treatment they need, the results of a new study indicate.

According to research carried out in this area, an estimated one in 20 people experience extreme fear and anxiety when faced with a visit to the dentist. This can put them off attending altogether, a condition known as odontophobia. Meanwhile, up to one in three patients report moderate anxiety at the prospect of dental treatment.

UK researchers followed the progress of 16 women and four men, all of whom were moderately or extremely anxious about attending the dentist. All were in their 40s and had been trying to deal with this problem for between two and 30 years.

Their fear of the dentist was assessed using a known questionnaire – the Back Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The participants’ BAI scores were assessed before and after five minutes of acupuncture treatment, which targeted two specific points on the top of the head.

The acupuncture was carried out by the dentists themselves, all of whom were members of the British Dental Acupuncture Society.

The study showed that the average BAI score of 26.5 fell to 11.5 following acupuncture and all 20 patients were able to undergo their planned treatment. Before, this had only been possible with six patients, and then only partially and after a great deal of effort on the part of both the dentist and patient.

The researchers pointed out that several attempts have been made to conquer this type of anxiety, including sedatives, relaxation techniques, behavioural therapies, and hypnosis. However while research indicates that these do help, they are time consuming and require considerable levels of psychotherapeutic skills if applied properly.

The team acknowledged that further larger studies are needed to confirm the value of acupuncture in these sorts of cases, but suggested that it ‘may offer a simple and inexpensive method of treatment’.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Acupuncture in Medicine.