shot-button
Subscription Subscription
Home > Lifestyle News > Health And Fitness News > Article > Dental anxiety can be managed with acupuncture reveals a study

Dental anxiety can be managed with acupuncture, reveals a study

Updated on: 02 May,2018 08:22 PM IST  |  Washington D.C. [U.S.A.]
ANI |

Dental anxiety affects up to an estimated 30 percent of the adult population in countries worldwide

Dental anxiety can be managed with acupuncture, reveals a study

Representational picture



Acupuncture could be a possible treatment for people who experience dental anxiety, finds a University of York study.


Dental anxiety affects up to an estimated 30 percent of the adult population in countries worldwide. Patients can experience nausea, difficulty breathing and dizziness at the thought of going to the dentist, during an examination, and following treatment.


Reasons behind dental anxiety can be various, such as fear of pain, needles or anaesthetic side effects, as well as embarrassment or feeling a loss of control.

In a review of six trials with 800 patients, researchers used a point scale to measure anxiety and found that anxiety reduced by eight points when dental patients were given acupuncture as a treatment.

This level of reduction is considered to be clinically relevant, which means that acupuncture could be a possibility for tackling dental anxiety.

Previous clinical trials have involved acupuncture for treatment on a range of conditions, including lower back pain, depression, and irritable bowel syndrome. There is, however, limited research detailing its impact on specific cases of anxiety.

More than 120 trials across England, China, Spain, Portugal and Germany were identified as having investigated the effects of acupuncture on patients with dental anxiety, and six trials were eligible for review, with two demonstrating high-quality methods.

Hugh MacPherson, Professor of Acupuncture, said: ¿There is increasing scientific interest in the effectiveness of acupuncture either as a standalone treatment or as an accompanying treatment to more traditional medications.

"We have recently shown, for example, that acupuncture treatment can boost the effectiveness of standard medical care in chronic pain and depression."

"Chronic pain is often a symptom of a long-term condition, so to further our understanding of the various uses of acupuncture we wanted to see what it could achieve for conditions that occur suddenly, rapidly and as a reaction to particular experiences."

Studies that compared anxiety levels between patients that received acupuncture and those that did not, showed a significant difference in anxiety scores during dental treatment. A clinically relevant reduction in anxiety was found when acupuncture was compared with not receiving acupuncture.

No conclusions could be drawn, however, between patients that received acupuncture as an intervention and those that received placebo treatment, suggesting that larger scale controlled trials are needed to increase the robustness of the findings.

The research is published in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!


Mid-Day Web Stories

Mid-Day Web Stories

This website uses cookie or similar technologies, to enhance your browsing experience and provide personalised recommendations. By continuing to use our website, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. OK