Management of the Petrified Dental Patient

From Volume 35, Issue 3, April 2008 | Pages 196-207

Authors

S Rafique

Department of Sedation and Special Care Dentistry, Floor 26, Guy's Tower, King's College London Dental Institute at Guy's, King's College and St Thomas' Hospitals, London Bridge, London, SE1 9RT, UK

Articles by S Rafique

A Banerjee

BDS, MSc, PhD, FDS(Rest Dent) FDS RCS(Eng), FHEA

Department of Conservative Dentistry, Floor 26, Guy's Tower, King's College London Dental Institute at Guy's, King's College and St Thomas' Hospitals, London Bridge, London, SE1 9RT, UK

Articles by A Banerjee

J Fiske

Department of Sedation and Special Care Dentistry, Floor 26, Guy's Tower, King's College London Dental Institute at Guy's, King's College and St Thomas' Hospitals, London Bridge, London, SE1 9RT, UK

Articles by J Fiske

Abstract

Fear and anxiety are common responses to anticipated or actual dental treatment. This may range from slight feelings of unease during routine procedures, such as an injection or cavity preparation, to feelings of extreme anxiety long before treatment is happening. There is general agreement that anxiety constitutes a major problem for the dentist, and a barrier to optimal care for the patient, as one of the most significant consequences is avoidance of dental treatment. Common triggers include local anaesthetic injection and the dental drill. This paper uses the term anxiety to encompass both fear and anxiety and reviews current strategies for managing anxious people in the dental setting, with a focus on non-invasive operative techniques.

Article

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