While many people may not look forward to a trip to the dentist, some people are overcome with complete fear at the prospect, which can have major consequences for their dental health. However, a new study has found that for those with a dental phobia, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) may help.

CBT is often referred to as a ‘talking therapy'. It aims to help people to better understand how their thoughts and feelings influence their behaviours. It is used to treat a range of mental health problems, including depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and psychosis.

CBT is a short-term therapy, usually lasting around six to 10 sessions. UK researchers set out to assess its impact when it came to the treatment of dental phobia.

They monitored the progress of 130 men and women who were attending a psychologist-led CBT service. All were surveyed on a range of issues, including general anxiety, dental anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

The researchers used a recognised dental anxiety scale and determined that three-quarters of the participants had a dental phobia. The remaining participants, while not completely phobic, did have a specific fear of some form of dentistry.

Perhaps not surprisingly, dental injections and dental drills were found to instil the most fear in people.

Almost all of the participants said that their fear of the dentist had resulted in a knock-on effect on their quality of life, as a result of problems with their teeth, gums or mouth.

The study found that after undergoing CBT, 79% went on to have dental treatment without the need for sedation, while a further 6% had treatment with sedation.

The average number of CBT sessions required before a patient was able to receive dental treatment without sedation was five.

"People with dental phobia are most commonly given sedation to allow them to become relaxed enough for a short period of time to have their dental treatment performed. However this does not help them to overcome their fear in the long term," explained the study's lead author, Prof Tim Newton, of King's College London.

He noted that the main goal of this CBT service was to enable patients to receive dental treatment without the need for sedation, ‘by working with each individual patient to set goals according to their priorities'.

"Our study shows that after on average five CBT sessions, most people can go on to be treated by the dentist without the need to be sedated. However, there is a need for people with dental phobia to be carefully assessed by trained CBT practitioners working with dental health professionals. Some of the patients referred to us were found to be experiencing additional psychological difficulties, and needed further referral and management," he explained.

He said that while CBT may reduce the need for sedation in people with a phobia, some patients will still require sedation because, for example, they require very invasive treatments.

"Our service should be viewed as complementing sedation services rather than as an alternative, the two together providing a comprehensive care pathway for the ultimate benefit of patients," Prof Newton added.

Details of these findings are published in the British Dental Journal.