title: Group therapy compared with individual desensitization for dental anxiety.
abstract: Effects of group therapy (GT) on extreme dental anxiety were compared with individual treatment (IT). Results by scales of dental anxiety, beliefs or trust in dentists, and fear of the next dentist after specialist treatment showed reduced dental anxiety and improved dental beliefs compared with a static control group of 45 patients. The 30 GT patients showed no significant difference in dropouts during training compared with the 68 IT patients, but for patients who completed treatment, GT (n = 24) had greater dental anxiety reduction than IT subjects (n = 60). GT patients required fewer therapist hours per patients than did either of the two IT methods, but time saved in GT did not reach significance over clinical rehearsal IT. Results at 1-yr follow-up after specialist treatment indicated that dropouts were significantly greater in group therapy. Rehearsal IT performed best for sustained dental care behavior. Group dynamics are discussed and suggestions made for effective and efficient group therapy as well as decision making about choice of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Epidemiology and Public Health, Royal Dental College, Aarhus University, Denmark.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brødsgaard
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003887:Desensitization, Psychologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008347:Manifest Anxiety Scale; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012064:Relaxation Therapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric