Presenters: Lauren Parker
Authors: Lauren Parker, Lexie Paxton
Faculty Advisor: Brenda Armstrong
Institution: Dixie State University
Anxiety is a common feeling in a large portion of the population. For people suffering from anxiety disorder, the feeling tends to increase while in the dental office causing dental anxiety. Suffering from dental anxiety can then affect the patient's appointment and overall oral health. Missed dental appointments can lead to emergent and more severe care. The purpose of this research was to identify the direct correlation between smoking, alcohol, drug use, and other substance abuse compared to dental anxiety in patients. The question researched is, “In patients with dental anxiety, will the use of alcohol, smoking, and other drugs, as compared to no substance use result in an increased amount of dental anxiety?” A literature search was conducted on the database PubMed. The keywords for the search parameters included dental anxiety, dental appointment, alcohol, smoking, drug use, disorder, stress, correlation, and substance abuse. While researching this topic, multiple primary resources were found, all showing an indirect correlation between substance use and increased dental anxiety levels. Research has shown that substance abuse directly increases anxiety levels and increased anxiety levels can then lead to more substance use. Further studies will need to be done in order to solidify the direct correlation of dental anxiety and substance abuse. As dental hygienists, it is important to manage anxiety levels felt by patient’s in the office and to help patients understand the importance of frequent dental cleanings, in order to maintain their total health.