subject: Dealing With Dental Phobia Through Acupuncture [print this page] Do you know that a lot of people actually cringe at the thought of going to the dentist?
Yes, studies have it that many people suffer from odontophobia, which can be defined as extreme anxiety or fear of visiting the dentist for treatment. And take note, we are not talking about kids here but people of varying ages may suffer from odontophobia.
However, a recent study published in 'Acupuncture in Medicine' revealed that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for people who shudder at the mere thought of sitting on a dentist's chair.
Acupuncture is an ancient healing method that originated from China for over 2,000 years that uses hair-like thin needles to stimulate the acupuncture points found in the meridian pathways of the body's Qi flow. Qi is the vital energy of the body associated with the different organ systems of the bodily functions.
This healing method has been proven to treat a wide range of ailments including stress-related conditions, pregnancy-related illnesses and a whole range of treatments focused on a woman's reproductive health.
Originally used in China as anesthetic, acupuncture can help people relax, thus the anxiety felt by most people visiting the dentist may be eased by acupuncture treatments, which is the very reason why most dentist nowadays have embraced acupuncture to help their patients relax and be given their needed dental medication.
The study conducted recently employed a validated questionnaire known as the Back Anxiety Inventory (BAI) to assess the extent of anxiety of four men and 16 women about to get a dental treatment. The result showed that each patient was either fairly or tremendously anxious to go to the dentist for treatment.
The subjects of the study were all middle-aged and who have been struggling with dental phobia for the most part of their lives. The BAI assessment was done before acupuncture was administered and five minutes after the acupuncture treatment was applied, which focused on two acupuncture points located on the head, the GV20 and EX6.
The acupuncture treatments were administered by the dentists themselves who are all members of the British Dental Acupuncture Society.
After the acupuncture treatments were carried out, the anxiety level of the patients plunged by 50% and all the patients went through their respective dental treatment successfully. Only six out of the 20 would have completed their dental treatment without the aid of acupuncture treatment.
For a number of years, several medications have been explored to treat such type of anxiety, which included hypnosis, behavioral therapies, relaxation techniques, and sedatives but unlike acupuncture treatments, which can deliver results within minutes, the other forms of treatment are time consuming and requires psychotherapeutic skills to be effective.
For now, acupuncture is the most affordable and simplest form of treatment for odontophobia.
