UTRGV psychological science Professor Laura Seligman has been awarded a $217,950 grant from National Institutes of Health to research dental phobia.
“National Institutes of Health is one of the major ways the government funds research health issues at universities,” Seligman said.
She said the money will be used to fund the planning for a clinical trial, which will be the first to take place at UTRGV.
“First, I have to describe what our clinical trial will look like and how it will impact our knowledge on how we treat children with dental phobia,” Seligman said in explaining the grant application process. “Why that’s a significant problem, and also detail some of the specifics about treatments and about some of the methodological processes we would use to test if the treatment was effective.”
She said it’s not uncommon for children to have fear or anxiety about going to the dentist.
“Dental phobia is when that fear is sustained for a long period of time and also when it starts interfering with the child’s functioning,” Seligman said.
Vanessa Candanoza, a first-year graduate student in experimental psychology, is a member of Seligman’s research team.
Asked what her role is, Candanoza said she organizes documents and conducts library research.
She spoke about the importance of Seligman’s research and what it means to be a part of it.
“It’s important to be a part of research, just to be a part of that foundation for science and growing our community,” Candanoza said. “This is something that is a soft spot for me as a Hispanic, because this research is targeting our community and bettering it for not only its emotional, but also physical health.”
Seligman elaborated on the impact that parents’ choices have on their children.
“There is some research that in minority populations, including Hispanic populations and Latino populations, parents tend to take a less preventative stance towards dental care,” she said. “By that I mean, some people will bring their child into the dentist when they’re not having any problems, but they bring their child in to prevent problems later down the road. That kind of a preventive stance towards dental treatment, where you believe the purpose of the dentist is to help prevent dental problems. Other people believe that going to the dentist is something you do when you have a problem.”
Seligman said some studies show that Hispanics take a treatment approach as opposed to a preventive approach on dental health.
“So, that means that if you are doing that with your child, the first time they go to the dentist they are probably being brought in for treatment, and treatment is probably going to be an uncomfortable or painful experience,” she said.
Children in the Valley are more at risk for dental phobia, because of these factors, according to Seligman.
Thomas Ollendick, a Virginia Tech distinguished professor of psychological science, is a co-principal investigator in the research project, meaning he and Seligman “share in the decision-making, and in the work that needs to be done,” according to Ollendick.
“We were awarded over $217,000, and if we are successful in getting the full grant funded, it would be close to a million dollars, and I say that, because it’s clear the National Institutes of Health thinks this is very important to do. And we do, too,” he said.
