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.

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

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

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).

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 [click-for-email] for more information.

Institution

Please contact [click-for-email] for more information.

General Practitioner

Please contact [click-for-email] 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. Frontiers in Oral Health. 2025
Tellez M, Dunne EM, Konneker E, Zhao H, Ismail AI. Online Cognitive‐Behavioural Intervention to Manage Dental Anxiety: A 12‐Month Randomised Clinical Trial. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology. 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

A promising tool or overcoming dental anxiety. Health Affairs. April 2023 42:
https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2022.01626
Hate going to the dentist? Temple researchers are tackling dental phobia (October 2018) Philly.com:
http://www2.philly.com/philly/health/dental-anxiety-phobia-dentist-temple-uinversity-20181001.html
Temple lands 2.6 million grant to reduce dental anxiety (October 2018) Philly Voice:
https://www.phillyvoice.com/temple-lands-26-million-grant-reduce-dental-anxiety/

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 [click-for-email]
You may also contact Drs. Marisol Tellez and Eugene Dunne if you would like more information about how this research was conducted.

Funding to test whether this program was effective was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (1R34DE024744-01; 5U01DE027328-03).

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
- Email
  [click-for-email]
- Direct
  215-707-1773