Getting through dental fear with CBT: a young person's guide

  • H. Chapman &
  • N. Kirby-Turner
Blue Stallion £ 4.95 ISBN: 190412707X | ISBN: 1-904-12707-X

This book describes a type of therapy called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, which has been shown to be effective for many problems, including phobias. CBT is widely used by psychologists and therapists to help patients to face going to the dentist and accepting required treatment.

I found the book to be well laid out with lots of information and coping strategies for anyone with dental fear. Although aimed at young people, I felt that it could be equally useful to adults. It was quick and easy to read, though sometimes I found it to be a bit repetitive.

I'm not sure that young people would read this book, unless an adult worked through it with them – a parent, carer or DCP. Rather than expecting a young person to go away and read the book, it would perhaps be more appropriate to pick out specific areas which might help them.

Having two young people at home, one aged 16, one 14 (albeit not dental phobic), I asked them both to read the book. They managed the first two or three pages before losing interest and said that they found some of the words quite complicated and technical.

I personally feel that CBT is a useful tool for anyone with fears/phobias of any nature and think that it is something that dental professionals should be made more aware of and put into use in clinical situations.