Scared of the dentist? Why acupuncture may help. ..

ACUPUNCTURE could help overcome dental anxiety, which affects 30 per cent of adults, according to a study by the University of York.

In a review of six trials with 800 patients, they found scores on an anxiety scale taken during dental treatment were reduced by eight points on average after acupuncture — said to be ‘clinically relevant’. Larger trials are needed to compare acupuncture to a placebo and see the effects on anxiety before, during and after visiting the dentist, the researchers wrote in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine.

It’s thought acupuncture may release chemicals with a calming effect.