Acupuncture May Calm Anxiety About the Dentist
By Donna Parker • Mar 30th, 2010 • Category: Anxiety, Health News
For many individuals, going to the dentist can be a nerve-wracking experience that could cause them a lot of anxiety.
According to a new study published in the journal, Acupuncture in Medicine, individuals could seek alternative health resources such as acupuncture to help calm their nerves before entering the dentist chair.
It’s been estimated that one in 20 patients experience extreme fear and anxiety about the dentist leading some to put off getting treatment for their teeth altogether because of their crippling fear. The researchers are hopeful that these new findings will help individuals seek treatment for problems again if their anxiety is calmed.
Researchers examined 20 patients that were either moderately or extremely anxious about visiting the dentist and measured their Back Anxiety Inventory (BAI) levels through a questionnaire five minutes before acupuncture therapy and five minutes after.
It was found that the average BAI score of 26.5 decreased to 11.5 and all of the patients were able to undergo dentistry treatment after receiving acupuncture.
Donna Parker
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