Working With Fearful and Anxious Dental Patients

Course overview

The purpose of this intermediate-level course is to familiarize the dentist and every member of the dental team with nonpharmacological techniques and strategies for guiding and supporting fearful dental patients. The course will address the nature and prevalence of dental fear and how to identify and guide the fearful patient. The learner will be made aware of the ways in which his or her own behavior, demeanor, and appearance, as well as the ambiance of the dental office, may contribute to dental fear. The learner will be introduced to various behavioral and cognitive patient guidance techniques that can be employed to allay patients' anxieties and reduce the practitioner's stress when confronted with a fearful patient. These techniques and strategies include but are not limited to communication, distraction, imaging, relaxation, tell-show-do, acupuncture, hypnosis, and biofeedback. The course will also address nonpharmacological guidance techniques best suited to address the special needs of fearful children, persons with cognitive or physical impairment, and older adults. At the end of the course, the learner should be able to identify the advantages and limitations of nonpharmacological guidance techniques and determine the most appropriate strategy for each fearful patient.