Use of a CBT resource for children with dental anxiety
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does the use of self-help Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) resources reduce dental anxiety in children aged 8-16 years, referred to Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust Community Dental Services?
IRAS ID
252388
Contact name
Bernadette Drummond
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 10 months, 0 days
Research summary
Dental anxiety is a common problem in children, with 10-20% reporting high levels of dental anxiety. This has a negative impact on quality of life, with 15% of children having experienced toothache. It is also linked to poorer oral health, and lifelong reliance on sedation and general anaesthesia for dental treatment which can be costly to health services. Reducing dental anxiety is therefore of high importance for children, their families and the health service.
A resource has previously been developed to help reduce children’s dental anxiety. It is based upon Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, a form of talking therapy. The resource is a self-help booklet, used one-to-one with a trained dental professional to help provide children with coping mechanisms to manage their anxiety. Previous studies have shown that it is effective but that it needs to be trialled in different settings.
The aim of this study is to assess whether the resource helps to reduce dental anxiety in a specific dental setting called the Community Dental Services, where many anxious children are referred for dental treatment.
The project has 2 stages. The first stage will use the resource with children during their dental treatment. They will fill in questionnaires before and after treatment to assess their levels of dental anxiety and the impact it has on their life.
For the second stage children will complete a diary and interview to assess their thoughts about the resource. The dental professionals treating the children will also be interviewed about their experiences using the resource. This will help to show whether it is useful in this setting and whether it is likely to be used in the future.
The study will be open to all anxious aged 8-16 year olds referred to the service who are able and willing to use the resource.
REC name
London - Queen Square Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0303
Date of REC Opinion
25 Feb 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion