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Dental Anxiety Program

Coping with Care: Dental Anxiety Solutions

Nervousness about an upcoming dental appointment is a common experience for people all over the world. Some may feel so anxious that they reschedule upcoming appointments many times or avoid dental appointments altogether.

Avoiding routine dental care may lead to more expensive and invasive dental work in the future. However, knowing this does not change the fact that going to the dentist can be an uncomfortable, daunting experience.

To combat this problem, researchers at Temple University’s School of Dentistry and Department of Psychology partnered up to create an online program that helps patients manage their dental anxiety. Using the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, the program guides the viewer through an hour-long video that exposes them to procedures they rank as their most feared. Along the way, the program teaches coping skills and other useful strategies for reducing negative feelings during a dental appointment.

Fear Ranking

At the beginning of the program, patients are given the option to rank their top three most feared procedures

Periapical Infection

The intervention provides patients with information about the procedures they have chosen.

Patient coping with fear

After learning about a chosen procedure, the patient watches as someone undergoing the same procedure learns how to change their anxious thoughts to coping thoughts (Cognitive Restructuring).

View from patient perspective

Lastly, patients see the procedure from their own perspective, as though they were laying in the dental chair.

Because the program is helpful to patients, researchers wanted to ensure that it was accessible to everyone. Read on for instructions about how to watch the online program.

How to Access the Program as a:

Patient

Please contact for more information.

Institution

Please contact for more information.

General Practitioner

Please contact for more information.

At the end of the study, researchers found a meaningful, lasting reduction in participant dental anxiety. More details about these findings can be found in the list of publications below:

Resources:

Publications
  • Konneker E., Singh D., Tellez M., Ismail A., Dunne E.M. A mixed methods exploration of the origin of dental anxiety and coping strategies among participants in a behavioral intervention for dental anxiety. Accepted Frontiers in Oral Health May 2025
  • Tellez M, Dunne E, Konneker L, Zhao H, Ismail A.I. Online Cognitive Behavioral Intervention to Manage Dental Anxiety: A 12-month Randomized Clinical Trial. Accepted Community Dentistry Oral Epidemiology May 2025
  • Potter C, Kinner DG, Jensen D, Kaplan S, Waldron L, Myers V S, Tellez M, Myers-Virtue S,  Heimberg R. G, Ismail, A. I Understanding and Treating Dental Anxiety: Dentists and Psychologists Join Forces at Temple University. Clinical Psychologist 2016 69(2):6-17
  • Tellez M, Potter C, Kinner DG, Jensen D, Waldron L, Myers V S, Heimberg R. G, Ismail, A. I. A Computer Administered Tool to Manage Dental Anxiety: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Dent Res. 2015 Sep;94(9 Suppl):174S-80S.
  • Potter C, Kinner D, Tellez M, Ismail  AI, Heimberg R. Single-Session Computerized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Dental Anxiety: A Case Series. Clinical Case Studies 2016;15(1):3-17.  
  • Tellez M, Kinner D, Heimberg R, Lim S, Ismail AI. Prevalence and Correlates of Dental Anxiety in Patients Seeking Dental Care. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2015 Apr;43(2):135-42. doi: 10.1111/cdoe.12132. Epub 2014 Oct 24.
  • Gordon D, Heimberg R, Tellez M, Ismail  AI. A Critical Review of Approaches to the Treatment of Dental Anxiety in Adults. J of Anxiety Disorders 2013; 27:365-378.
Abstracts/Posters at Professional Conferences
  • Konneker E., Tellez M., Ismail AI., Dunne E. (2025, June). Distress Tolerance and Panic Attack Symptoms among Dentally Anxious Patients. IADR/PER Barcelona 2025 ID# 0288
  • Dunne EM, Konneker E, Zhao H, Ismail AI, Tellez M. Changes in sleep quality following a cognitive behavioral intervention for dental anxiety. IADR/PER Barcelona 2025
  • Tellez M, Dunne E, Konneker E, Ismail AI, Zhao H. Does an Online Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Dental Anxiety Impact Functional Impairment? IADR/PER Barcelona 2025
  • Razeghinejad A, Dunne E, Hwang T, Konneker E, Kumar S, Maawad R, Tellez M. Mixed methods analysis of patient-reported experience with dental anxiety and psychological characteristics. AADOCR New York 2025 ID# 0714
  • Tellez M, Dunne E, Konneker E, Ismail AI, Zhao H. Does an online behavioral intervention for dental anxiety impact attendance? AADOCR New York 2025 ID# 0715
  • Dunne EM, Konneker E, Singh D, Ismail A, Tellez M. Participant satisfaction with an online exposure-based cognitive intervention for dental anxiety. ABCT 58th Annual Convention, Philadelphia 2024
  • Konneker E., Singh D., Tellez M., Ismail A., Dunne E. Reduction in avoidant coping style following an exposure-based cognitive behavioral intervention for dental anxiety: A mixed-methods study. ABCT 58th Annual Convention, Philadelphia 2024
  • Tellez M, Dunne E, Konneker E, Singh D, Ismail AI, Zhao H. Efficacy of an online intervention for dental anxiety.  IADR New Orleans 2024 ID# 1295
  • Okoye D, Konneker E, Dunne E, Tellez M, Ismail AI, Zhao H. Correlation of dental anxiety and psychological constructs among adults. IADR New Orleans 2024 ID# 2269
  • Konneker E, Singh D, Ismail AI, Tellez M, Dunne E. Effects of origins of dental anxiety on anxiety severity. IADR New Orleans 2024 ID# 2272
  • Dunne E, Konneker E, Singh D, Zhao H, Ismail AI, Tellez M. Moderating effect of pain sensitivity on changes in dental anxiety. IADR New Orleans 2024 ID# 2273
  • Tellez M, Dunne E, Konneker L, Myers V. Prevalence of Dental Anxiety and Dental Phobia and Associated Psychological Constructs in a Sample of Patients Attending Dental Treatment at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry (TUKSoD). IADOCR Bogota, Colombia 2023.
  • Tellez M, Myers Virtue S, Kaplan S, Waldron, E.M., Potter, C. M, Heimberg, R. G, Ismail A.I. Feasibility and Acceptability of an Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. IADR San Francisco, CA 2017.
  • Tellez M, Potter C, Kinner D. G., Jensen D, Waldron L, Heimberg R. G, Ismail, A. I. Efficacy of a Computer Administered Tool to Manage Dental Anxiety. IADR, Boston, MA, USA 2015.
  • Potter, C. M., Jensen, D., Kinner, D. G., Tellez, M., Ismail, A. I., & Heimberg, R. G. Feasibility and acceptability of a computerized cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for dental anxiety: An open pilot trial. ABCT Anxiety Disorders, Philadelphia, PA, USA  2014.
  • Tellez M, Gordon D, Heimberg R, Ismail AI, Kaur S. Dental Anxiety, Dental Phobia and Avoidance among Adults Seeking Care. IADR Seattle, WA, USA 2013.
  • Potter, C. M., Gordon, D., Heimberg, R. G., Tellez, M., Ismail, A. Panic symptoms within dental anxiety: Implications for treatment. Association for Psychological Science APS, 2013 Washington, D.C, USA.
  • Gordon D, Tellez M, Heimberg R, Ismail AI, Kaur S. Dental Anxiety, Dental Phobia, and Avoidance: Prevalence and Psychological Correlates among Adults Seeking Dental Care. ABCT Anxiety Disorders SIG Poster Expo 2012 Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Published Articles in the news

Because the program is helpful to patients, researchers wanted to ensure that it was accessible to patients, institutions, and dental providers. Read on for instructions about how to watch the online program:

Contact Us

For help getting started, please contact
You may also contact Drs. Marisol Tellez and Eugene Dunne if you would like more information about how this research was conducted.
 

  • Marisol Tellez

    Marisol Tellez

    • Kornberg School of Dentistry

      • Center for Public Health and Behavioral Science Research

        • Professor and Director

      • Department of Oral Health Sciences

        • Chair

      • Dental Public Health

        • Graduate Program Director

  • Eugene Dunne, PhD.

    Eugene M. Dunne

    • Kornberg School of Dentistry

      • Department of Oral Health Sciences

        • Assistant Professor