Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Cosmetic Dentistry
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a serious mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. It has special importance In cosmetic dentistry, which includes treatments such as bleaching, veneers, crowns, implants, orthodontics, Botox, and fillers.
Relevance in Cosmetic Dentistry
Patients with BDD may frequently seek cosmetic dentistry as a 'solution' to their perceived physical imperfections. However, due to the nature of BDD, they are often left unsatisfied with cosmetic procedures, leading to a cycle of repeated treatments and potential dissatisfaction for both the patient and the dental professional.
Statistics Highlighting the Importance
Prevalence Rates: Research suggests that BDD affects about 1-2% of the global population, with similar prevalence within the UK. However, this rate is thought to be higher in cosmetic dentistry settings, possibly as much as 5%.
Suicidal Thoughts and Attempts: Studies indicate that about 80% of individuals with BDD experience suicidal thoughts, and 25% of these attempt suicide. These alarming statistics underline the importance of early detection and appropriate management in dental settings.
Participant Feedback Report: Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Cosmetic Dentistry CPD Module
Participants provided very positive feedback about the Dentaljuce CPD course "Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Cosmetic Dentistry," emphasising its informative content, practical relevance, and ethical insights.
Key Strengths
Participants particularly appreciated the following aspects:
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Informative and Insightful Content: Learners highlighted the module's ability to effectively educate and raise awareness about Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), greatly improving their understanding.
- "An excellent informative course on a topic of which I was largely ignorant."
- "Excellent course content which will allow me to practise cosmetic dentistry in a more ethical way."
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Practical Application and Patient Management: Participants found the practical strategies and assessment tools provided in the module particularly valuable for identifying and managing patients with potential BDD.
- "This course has enabled me to manage these patients more effectively."
- "Great structures to identify BDD cases using a multifaceted approach."
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Ethical and Compassionate Care: Learners consistently noted that the course emphasised ethical considerations, enhancing their capability to provide compassionate care while managing legal and consent-related risks.
- "Ethical, compassionate care balancing physical and psychological needs."
Specific Positive Comments
Participants provided numerous commendations:
- "Very informative and engaging."
- "Really good course, very informative."
- "Important and unique topic which is acutely needed to be promoted."
- "Interesting and informative."
Suggestions for Improvement
Minimal suggestions for improvement included:
- Potentially refining the scoring system of the BDD assessment tool to avoid overly sensitive scoring.
Closed-Question Feedback Summary
The course achieved highly positive ratings across all key areas:
- Met Learning Objectives: 100% strongly agree/agree
- Good Quality: 95.8% strongly agree/agree
- Useful & Relevant: 100% strongly agree/agree
- Engaging: 95.9% strongly agree/agree
- Pitched at Right Level: 95.9% strongly agree/agree
These results reflect exceptional participant satisfaction and endorsement of course quality, relevance, and engagement.
Overall Participant Impression
Participants highly valued the "Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Cosmetic Dentistry" module, describing it as informative, practical, and ethically relevant. The course significantly improved participants' confidence in managing BDD effectively and responsibly within their cosmetic dentistry practices.
Aim
The aim of the learning and teaching materials in this Dentaljuce module is to allow learners to develop their professional knowledge, understanding and competence in the field of Body Dysmorphic Disorder and its relevance in Cosmetic Dentistry, in line with their identified personal learning requirements.
Course objective
- to update the dental professional with the knowledge and tools to identify and manage Body Dysmorphic Disorder in patients seeking cosmetic dentistry.
Anticipated learning outcomes:
The learner will:- have knowledge of the prevalence and implications of Body Dysmorphic Disorder in cosmetic dentistry.
- understand how to identify potential BDD patients using a provided assessment tool.
- understand how to manage patients with suspected BDD and navigate consent and legislation risks.
- through achieving these outcomes, provide an improved level of service to their patients.
GDC Development Outcomes
This CPD will support the learner in meeting the following GDC Development Outcome(s): C D.