By SUE RYAN
News staff writer
February 11, 2008

A scene out of the early 1990s “Wayne’s World” movies depicts character Garth Algar flailing in a dentist’s chair while having his teeth drilled.

The black-humor intent probably ties more to the heavy metal enthusiast having to listen to Kenny G music rather than the dental procedure.

But the cultural representation that comes across is one that many people relate to — going to the dentist can be a fearful event.

“Portrayal of dental fear in the media can end up being one reason people become afraid of going to the dentist,” said researcher Sue Coldwell, with the School of Dentistry at the University of Washington.

Whether it comes from media, family history or other reasons; the fact has been established that fear of dental treatment is one reason why people avoid going to the dentist for treatment.

Coldwell is coordinating a study put on by UW and Oregon Health & Science University that will have local impact. One of the major reasons people avoid going to a dentist is fear; finances are another reason. The top two fears people have of dentists are a fear of drilling and fear of dental injections.

“People often have a bad experience and end up with a conditioned fear,” Coldwell said. “We know that between five and 10 percent of the population out there will actually avoid dental treatments because of fear.”

Hood River dentist Bruce Burton is one of six dentists in a five-state network that will be participating in the study, which will focus on fear of dental injections. His research began in January and will last a year.

Patients must be 18 years or older. The study isn’t looking at why people are afraid but rather if a computer program will help people overcome their fears. The study will use a Computer Assisted Relaxation Learning system to try to help patients.

“It teaches some relaxation skills and helps people to prepare for going to the dentist, practice overcoming that fear,” Coldwell said.

The researchers will then compare the CARL results to what dentists already do to help people conquer their fears.

The study is part of an overall change in how dental research is being done. Coldwell said in the past, that research was primarily conducted at dental schools at universities.

Coldwell said the idea behind taking research out into dental offices is that if dentists are directly involved in the research, the findings might be more readily adopted.

“Medicine has been doing this for awhile but dentistry is just starting,” she said.

In 2005, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research awarded grants that established regional “practice-based” research networks. OHSU and UW jointly manage the western center.

The network is doing research for oral health care in Oregon, Washington, Montana, Utah and Idaho until 2012.