Dental students' perception of patient anxiety

This study examined the ability of dental students to assess patients' anxiety during dental treatment, and the relationship between patients' general, waiting room and clinic levels of anxiety. Sixty-six restorative dental patients and 35 Final-year dental students participated in the study. Prior to a routine dental appointment, patients completed visual analogue scales indicating their general and waiting room levels of anxiety. During treatment, patients and dental students completed similar scales to indicate patients' levels of anxiety up to and at that time. Patients' general and waiting room levels of anxiety were found to correlate significantly with their reports of anxiety during treatment. Female patients reported higher levels of anxiety than male patients. The correlations between patient and student ratings of patients' anxiety were small and non-significant, suggesting the students were not accurate in their estimates of patients' anxiety during treatment. It is suggested, therefore, that dental students be encouraged to ask patients directly how they are feeling about the dental situation. Such discussion could take place prior to, or at the beginning of, the dental appointment.