Uziel N, Meyerson J, Winocur E, Nabriski O, Eli I. Management of the dentally anxious patient: the dentist's perspective. Oral Health Prev Dent 2019; 17: 35-41.

Most dentists are willing to undergo appropriate training to help manage dentally anxious patients.

This study evaluated dental anxiety from the dentist's perspective. A cross-sectional study was performed on a convenience sample. Data were gathered using questionnaires. Three hundred and ten practising dentists completed the survey. Participants estimated that 27% of their adolescent/adult patients and 35% of their child patients suffer from dental anxiety. Dentists reported devoting about a quarter of their weekly work hours to treating such patients. The most common anxiety management techniques used for adults and children were nitrous oxide and/or behavioural techniques (such as distraction, reinforcement, gradual exposure and relaxation). The consensus was that treating dentally anxious patients involves long treatment times, insufficient payment, and frequent appointment cancellations. However, dentists generally agreed that it is their responsibility to help dentally anxious patients and 81% expressed interest in taking part in management courses. The authors emphasise the importance of incorporating behavioural and pharmacological management techniques in the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum to improve the well-being of both dentally anxious patients and their dentists.