Anxiety: its management during the treatment of the adolescent dental patient

Surveys indicate that the adolescent, in particular, suffers from acute anxiety in relation to dentistry. This anxiety is promoted by the general opinion they form of dentists and dentistry through portrayal by their peers and the media. In addition, their own attitude to dentistry, both positive and negative, is influenced to a large extent by the dentist himself. This patient-dentist relationship is, therefore, especially important when treating the adolescent and this should be emphasized in the dental undergraduate curriculum. Psychological methods can be effective in overcoming anxiety but they may be time-consuming. The technique of rapid induction analgesia, using hypnosis by indirect suggestion, may be the most practical modality in this field. Pharmacological techniques remain the principal method of stress reduction. The oral sedative-hypnotic of choice has progressed from the barbiturates to the benzodiazepines mainly due to the selective action of the latter on the limbic system coupled with their high therapeutic index. The newer benzodiazepines combine a more rapid onset with accelerated recovery. Nitrous oxide remains a safe and predictable agent for sedation but its ability to reinforce post-hypnotic suggestion has not been fully realized in the past. Intravenous sedation has evolved from a general anaesthetic technique to a predictable conscious sedation technique with the benzodiazepines again dominating the field. The advent of newer benzodiazepines with much shorter half-lives will improve their properties further. With the combination of the psychological and pharmacological techniques available, anxiety for the adolescent in dentistry may be overcome.