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dental phobia section

DENTAL PHOBIA: HOW COLOURED LIGHTING CAN

HELP PATIENTS OVERCOME THEIR ANXIETY

ANGELINA SCHITIK

Many people are afraid of visiting the dentist. They associate dental FEAR OF DENTISTRY IS WIDESPREAD
treatment with pain and discomfort. Fear of dentistry is a wide- Dental anxiety has many causes. In many cases, negative and even
spread phenomenon. However, a dental visit can be made more traumatic experiences play a considerable role. Sixty to eighty per
comfortable with the right kind of lighting. Certain types of light can cent of all patients associate dental visits and the dental treatment
help patients to feel less anxious. with considerable discomfort. In most patients, this fear is unfound-
While I was working as a dental assistant in a dental practice in ed. Nonetheless, it has to be taken seriously.
Germany, I frequently dealt with anxious patients. They would tell
me about how debilitating their fear of dentistry was for them. It is USING COLOURED LIGHTING TO HELP EASE PATIENT FEARS
because of their stories that I became interested in the topic of den- Various possibilities are available to make anxious patients feel more
tal phobia. Furthermore, I wanted to find out if and how this fear comfortable. While I was studying interior design, I came across a
could be overcome or at least alleviated. I asked myself the following very interesting concept: Coloured lighting is thought to influence
question: What could dentists do to make these patients feel more our emotional state. For example, red tends to have a stimulating
comfortable during the treatment and make their dental experience effect, while blue is calming. Therefore, it is not surprising that
more positive? coloured lighting is used in the treatment of many different illnesses.
It is now well accepted that each colour has a psychological value

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34 Dental Practice // January-February 2021 // Vol 17 No 4