Patients with severe dental anxiety often present with the need to lose some teeth. Implants can be life changing for those who are suitable for them, replacing one tooth, a few teeth, or ’all on four’ for the edentulous can become a possibility with the right approach to anxiety management.
The difficulties for the dental team are not the technical and clinical aspects of treatment but how to help the patient to accept any procedures at all. The lecture will focus on practical techniques for managing different aspects of the journey to implants for the anxious patient.
Examples will be given from my experience over many years, including the successful care of some severe phobics who have gone on to have the implants they never dreamt they would be able to have. My own patients are referred on for implants at the stage of the journey where the foundations of the phobia ‘cure’ have already been laid.
The role of the hygienist, dental nurse and support staff will be explored. I work closely with the team in my practice and the work they do is invaluable in helping patients begin their treatment and gain confidence.
Learning Objectives:
- To assess accurately the level of dental anxiety for a patient
- To understand how to gain patients’ trust and be non-judgmental
- To learn some techniques for managing particular issues such as injection phobia