LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF TREATED DENTAL PHOBICS

Behavioural treatment programmes have been shown repeatedly to be effe ctive in alleviating dental anxiety but few studies have provided long -term follow-ups. [n this study, dentally anxious Ss who had completed a 4-session behavioural group programme were followed up for periods between 1 and 4 years after successful completion of treatment. It was hypothesized that dental visit satisfaction would be associated with regular dental attendance. 88% of Ss contacted agreed to cooperate; of these, 70% were still maintaining regular check-ups. There were no di fferences between regular and irregular attenders in terms of age, gen der, education, marital status, degree of pre-treatment avoidance or t ime elapsed since completion of the programme. However, Ss who did not see their dentists regularly were more likely to have shown higher le vels of anxiety immediately after completing the programme, less conco rdance between the subjective and overt behavioural aspects of anxiety and to have experienced more invasive than non-invasive procedures th an the others. It was argued that dentally anxious individuals are not a homogeneous group and that a better understanding of their individu al differences would lead to the development of more efficacious treat ment procedures.