[Atraumatic restorative treatment in relation to pain, discomfort and dental treatment anxiety]

Abstract

Dental treatment anxiety usually develops during childhood due to a bad experience and the dental drill as well as the injection needle are the most common causes. The Atraumatic Restorative Treatment provides the opportunity to provoke little or no dental treatment anxiety because only hand instruments are used and local anaesthesia is seldom required. Several scientific studies have indicated that the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment causes less pain, discomfort and anxiety by comparison with conventional treatments. Therefore, the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment is considered to be promising for the treatment of carious lesions in anxious children and adults, and potentially also for patients suffering from dental treatment phobia. Furthermore, the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment may be indicated as the primary treatment method in children to prevent dental treatment anxiety and treatment under general anaesthesia. These conclusions must still be confirmed with responsible scientific research.