Online help for people with dental anxiety
Official title: Efficacy of an Internet-based intervention for dental anxiety
Funded at Temple Univ of the Commonwealth · NIH-10458657 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at a helpful online program that can ease dental anxiety right before your appointment, and it wants to see if it's more effective when dental staff or trained psychologists guide you through it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Temple Univ of the Commonwealth NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2018 |
| Project end | July 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2022 |
| Award (this year) | $497,576 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DE027328-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10458657 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals who experience significant anxiety related to dental appointments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not experience dental anxiety or those who are not seeking dental care may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates an Internet-based cognitive-behavioral intervention designed to help individuals manage dental anxiety before their appointments. Patients will receive a brief online program that they can complete in the hour leading up to their dental visit. The study aims to compare the effectiveness of this online intervention when facilitated by dental staff versus trained clinical psychology personnel. By evaluating patient responses and anxiety levels, the research seeks to determine the best approach for delivering this intervention in dental settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly reduce dental anxiety for patients, making dental visits more manageable and less stressful.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown promising results for similar Internet-based cognitive-behavioral interventions in reducing anxiety, indicating potential for success in this approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Temple Univ of the Commonwealth
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tellez Merchan, Marisol — Temple Univ of the Commonwealth
- Study coordinator: Tellez Merchan, Marisol
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Doula support to improve mood and anxiety health for rural mothers
A rural-focused program tests whether birth doulas can boost confidence, support, and maternal health for new mothers with mood and anxiety concerns.
-
Understanding how heavy drinking and anxiety relate in emerging adults
This grant studies how heavy alcohol use and anxiety symptoms interact in young adults (ages 18–34) and what biological stress markers might reveal about that relationship.
-
Molecular and brain circuits linked to anxiety disorders
A researcher is studying a specific brain circuit to understand what drives anxiety and how it could be treated for people with anxiety disorders.
-
Expressive Writing to Help Sexual Minority Veterans with Depression and Anxiety
A brief writing program to help sexual minority veterans feel less depression and anxiety.
-
Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy for Veterans with Social Anxiety and PTSD Symptoms
A clinical trial tests whether a flexible brain-behavior therapy helps veterans with social anxiety and PTSD symptoms feel better and engage more in daily life.
-
How parents' emotions shape young children's anxiety
This project explores how parents' moment-by-moment emotions and bodily signals shape anxiety in children from infancy through age 11.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.