Trial reportCommunity dentistry and oral epidemiology2025
Online Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention to Manage Dental Anxiety: A 12-Month Randomised Clinical Trial.
Trial report in Community dentistry and oral epidemiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03680755 (Efficacy of an Internet-based Intervention for Dental Anxiety), which is not on this map. Cited by 4 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Efficacy of an Internet-based Intervention for Dental Anxiety
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Moderating effect of pain sensitivity on dental anxiety: a randomized controlled cognitive-behavioral intervention trial.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Trial
- Perioperative loxoprofen sodium is associated with lower pain and anxiety levels in dental implant surgery: a cohort study in China.Clinical oral investigations · 2026Article
- Evaluating the effectiveness of an artificial intelligence-based chatbot for reducing dental anxiety among adult dental patients.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Article
- Dental Radiophobia: A Narrative Review of Prevalence, Associated Factors, and Public Health Consequences of Dental Radiography Fear in the Community - With a Focus on Both Patient and Clinician-Level Fear.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dentistry · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe study aimed to test the efficacy of an online cognitive-behavioural therapy dental anxiety intervention (o-CBT) that could be easily implemented in dental healthcare settings.
methodsAn online cognitive-behavioural protocol based on psychoeducation, exposure to feared dental procedures and cognitive restructuring was developed. A randomised controlled trial was conducted (N = 499) to test its efficacy. Consenting adult dental patients (18-75 years old) who met inclusion criteria (e.g., high dental anxiety) were randomised to one of three arms, (a) intervention assisted by psychology staff (PI) (n = 162), (b) intervention assisted by dental staff (DI) (n = 167), or (c) a control condition (C) (n = 170). Primary outcome measures were the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and the Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule DSM-V (ADIS) rating of fear. Generalised linear models for repeated measures based on intention to treat analyses were used to compare the three groups on dental anxiety, fear, avoidance and overall severity of dental phobia.
resultsDental anxiety was significantly lower in both PI and DI groups when compared to the control condition. Interestingly, reductions in dental anxiety favoured the DI group at 6 (p = 0.008) and 12 months only (p = 0.009). Overall, equivalency was observed between the two intervention groups (PI and DI), as there were no significant differences in dental anxiety when the dental arm was compared to the psychology arm across all time points (p > 0.05).
conclusionThe online cognitive-behavioural intervention was efficacious in reducing dental anxiety when compared to a control condition in an urban sample of patients receiving treatment in a dental school setting. Examination of its effectiveness when administered in dental offices under less controlled conditions is warranted.
trial registrationNCT03680755.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.