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Can Music Help Overcome Dental Anxiety?

 
Chapter: Dental Anxiety is a Real Condition

"Today's dentists recognize dental anxiety is a real condition," says Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson William Kuttler, DDS, FAGD. "Helping patients overcome their fear of visiting the dentist has become just as important as mastering the latest clinical technique."

 

Establishing trust and keeping patients informed and in control throughout a visit to the dentist helps calm dental anxiety. One option is using hand signals to communicate with the dentist throughout a procedure. "If patients feel uncomfortable, all they have to do is signal and we stop," says Dr. Kuttler. "Empowering the patient ensures they return and makes visiting the dentist a priority in one's overall health care routine."
 
Reviewed: January 2012