Dental anxiety: differentiation, identification and behavioral management

Dental anxiety has always been and still is a major impediment to regular dental care for a significant proportion of the general public. In years past, dental professionals could afford, by and large, to ignore this problem. Practices could flourish based on their technical virtuosity, and fearful or anxious patients might be considered a burden rather than a concern. Today, however, the laws of supply and demand are causing dentists to pay increased attention to aspects of the profession that extend beyond the science of clinical technique. A successful practice now depends on interpersonal as well as technical skills, particularly the ability to manage dental anxiety. Despite this, most dentists admit to a surprising lack of confidence when it comes to understanding the nature of anxiety and the modern methods advocated for its everyday management, which generally rely on behavioral modes of intervention. This paper is designed to familiarize practitioners with some of the basic elements of dental fear and anxiety, and their day to day management.