The sights and sounds of dental treatment. Negative emotions and pain experience

Abstract

The dental treatment situation is full of sensory impressions for the patient. This can be the sound of drilling or scaling, sights of blood or needles or the sensation of pain. These sensory impressions might induce negative emotions for the patient. In this study we want to investigate the relationship between sensory impressions (sights and sounds), emotions, and pain experience. We also want to investigate if there is a relationship between sensory impressions and emotions. If there is an association between these factors it can help practitioners better understand their patients and their reason for feeling uncomfortable in a dental treatment situation, and help develop better treatment approaches to those individuals who experience dental fear and anxiety because of sensory impressions.