She hadn't been to the dentist for 33 years out of fear: Treated through the ‘Smiling Teeth Project’

47-year-old Gülay Can, who had avoided the dentist for 33 years due to fear, finally sought a solution after being overwhelmed by severe toothache. The patient, upon learning that the ‘Smiling Teeth Project’ offered free therapy sessions with a psychologist for individuals with dental treatment anxiety, decided to tackle her fear through this supportive initiative.

“I remember screaming a lot.”

“I went to the dentist when I was about 14 years old”, Can shared, recounting her fear of dental treatment as follows:

“A numbing agent was applied during the treatment. However, even though my mouth was numb, it hurt a lot when my tooth was pulled out. I remember screaming a lot. Then I was referred to another physician. That experience was also similar. Likewise, they applied a lot of force to my tooth. That fear lingered in me until I was 47. I was too afraid to go to the dentist. In the end, I suffered from a terrible toothache for two months but couldn’t bring myself to go to the hospital because of my fear. My husband said, ‘Enough is enough.’ I came to this hospital after my searching. When I met with the physicians, they told me about this project. I said I’d like to join. Because psychologically, I could never overcome that fear.”

“They played my favourite music during the treatment.”

Can said, “I overcame my fear in one session. During the session, first of all, a device was attached to my arms. Then we had an online meeting with the psychologist. I shared my past experiences. I was quite moved. Because I didn’t expect it to be such a successful project. The psychologist’s conversations, their exploration of my past, their gestures, and everything I shared greatly relieved me. Then, once it was determined that I was ready, they took me to the physician. They played my favourite music during the tooth extraction. For the first time in my life, they helped me relax and ease my stress by playing my favourite music during my dental treatment. Frankly, I didn’t even realise when my tooth was extracted.

If there are those who are afraid like me, don’t be afraid, just visit here. Get the therapy. I plan to have the rest of my dental work done without fear and to undergo any necessary treatment.”

“Many patients abandon treatment due to stress and fear.”

Dentist Nursena Tuncay from Istanbul Beykent University Dental Hospital said, “Patients who come for treatment often say that they want to have treatment but are afraid. We often hear phrases like, ‘I know what needs to be done, but I can't bring myself to do it; I’m really worried.’ Many patients

abandon treatment due to stress and fear. We realised that this was not sustainable. The number of these patients is also quite high. Fear of dental treatment and the inability to seek care due to dental anxiety often lead to severe dental problems, as well as depression and anxiety. Therefore, we aimed to address both the oral and mental health of our patients by conducting a comprehensive study.”

“We broke new ground in dentistry in Türkiye.”

“We broke new ground in dentistry in Türkiye,” said Dentist Nursena Tuncay, “First, we ask our patients verbally if they have any concerns about the treatment. Most of our patients express it clearly if they have such concerns. We aim to determine whether this stems from a negative experience during a previous treatment or if it has always been this way. We then attach wearable technological devices to the patient’s wrists. We measure their fear levels during dental treatment. Devices detect stress and fear levels. We then examine these findings. We ask our patient some personalised questions. We then design a fully personalised treatment programme based on their responses, stress levels, and heart rate data from our analysis.”

İlgili Görseller