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Acupunct Med. 2010 Mar;28(1):3-5. doi: 10.1136/aim.2009.001933.
Acupuncture in the management of anxiety related to dental treatment: a case series.
Rosted P1, Bundgaard M, Gordon S, Pedersen AM.
Author information
1Department of Oncology, Weston Park Hospital, Sheffield, UK. prosted@gmail.com
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Anxiety related to dental treatment is a common phenomenon that has a significant impact on the provision of appropriate dental care. The aim of this case series was to examine the effect of acupuncture given prior to dental treatment on the level of anxiety.
METHODS:
Eight dentists submitted 21 case reports regarding the treatment of dental anxiety. The level of anxiety was assessed by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Only patients with moderate to severe anxiety (BAI score > or =16) were included. The remaining 20 patients, 16 women and 4 men, with a mean age of 40.3 years, had a median BAI score of 26.5 at baseline. The BAI score was assessed before and after the acupuncture treatment. All patients received acupuncture treatment for 5 min prior to the planned dental treatment using the points GV20 and EX6.
RESULTS:
There was a significant reduction in median value of BAI scores after treatment with acupuncture (26.5 reduced to 11.5; p