Five common myths about treating anxious dental patients

Providing the right support for anxious patients is a challenge. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and well-intended actions can sometimes make things worse. If you feel this way, you are not alone: In a 2016 survey of Ohio dentists, 60% of respondents agreed that treating anxious patients was challenging.

And a UK survey of 460 dentists revealed that 91% felt stressed when treating anxious patients. Building confidence in managing difficult emotional dynamics in the chair takes time, and dental anxiety is seldom given adequate coverage in dental education. As such, some common assumptions can make working with anxious patients more difficult than it needs to be.

Myth 1: “Reassuring a patient that there is nothing to worry about will calm them down.”

It is natural to want to comfort an anxious patient, and there is a tendency to fall back on phrases like “Don’t worry” or “You’ll be fine”. But this often backfires. Why? Because this type of reassurance, while well-meaning, can make patients feel dismissed or invalidated.

“The most common denominator that I see repeating when patients have a bad experience is an invalidation of their feelings.” — Psychologist and anxiety expert Denisa Moravcik Debrecka

What to do instead: Acknowledge their fear. Let them know that you hear them and that you believe them. Simply validating their experience with phrases like “It’s normal to feel nervous about this“ or ”It’s very understandable that you‘re feeling this way” can help the patient feel safer in your care.

Myth 2: “If you do everything right, the patient won’t feel anxious.”

We are looking at you here, perfectionists! Even with flawless techniques and an empathetic manner, some patients will still experience anxiety in your care. This can be due to past trauma, ongoing mental health struggles, or a myriad of other factors that may not be apparent. It is not a reflection of your competence. You simply cannot control how someone else feels.

What to do instead: Accept that anxiety will still show up and make sure you have the knowledge and the tools to help your patient get through it. And remind yourself that your role is to create a safe, supportive environment and not to eliminate all traces of fear and anxiety.

Myth 3: “Joking or making light of the situation will help ease the tension.”

This one is tricky. Humour can be a useful tool to create rapport, but it is risky when someone is in a vulnerable emotional state. What might be intended as light-hearted banter can come across as minimising their experience, or at worst, making fun of them. It can be another form of invalidation, especially coming from a healthcare professional.

What to do instead: Don’t lead with humour when the patient is noticeably anxious. While some patients may welcome humour, others need calm, grounded support, so it is always a safer bet to lead with empathy and validation.

Myth 4: “They are overreacting.”

Anxious outbursts can come across as over the top, especially to a dental professional who understands the risks involved in the procedure. But whether the response is proportionally appropriate is irrelevant: To the patient, the fear is very real. Judging their reaction, even internally, can subtly affect how you communicate and how safe they feel.

What to do instead: You don’t have to understand why a patient is anxious to respect that they are. This simple mindset shift helps foster more compassionate care.

Myth 5: “Helping a patient manage emotions is complex and difficult.”

Many medical professionals shy away from using psychological techniques because they think they need to do something special or really complex. But the truth is, you don’t need a psychology degree to support an anxious patient; practising empathy, asking questions and learning simple but effective techniques will go a long way in your journey to improving the patient experience.

What to do instead: Boost your confidence by taking steps to build your soft skills and evaluate your patient interactions for areas in which you can improve.

Join the pioneers of human-first dentistry and discover hands-on approaches in our new course: Caring for patients experiencing hard emotions.