For some, sitting in the dental chair is no big deal. But for many others, it is a deeply emotional experience, often marked by fear, shame, or even panic. Caring for patients who are struggling with heavy emotions is a challenge all dental professionals face.
In fact, it is estimated that 36 percent of patients feel anxious when visiting the dentist, with a further 12 percent having extreme dental anxiety, which often becomes a substantial barrier to seeking the care they need.
You can make dental appointments feel less intimidating by understanding what these emotions look like and learning techniques that foster trust. This leads to a better care experience and ultimately helps patients feel more empowered to improve their oral health.
What you’ll learn:
Module I: Topic onboarding
- Get to the root of hard and heavy emotions and their impact on patient behaviour.
- Quickly spot signs your patient is experiencing emotional distress.
- Explore the latest research on the complex causes of dental anxiety and fear.
Module II: Hands-on with the basics
- Identify both common and less common triggers in your practice.
- Discover communication pitfalls that can lead to the patient feeling worse.
- Use mindful communication to reduce patient anxiety.
Module III: Making it work
- React to any patient interaction with empathy and validation.
- Discuss sensitive topics like poor oral hygiene or finance without causing patient distress.
- Improve the patient experience from pre-appointment to post-procedure with an actionable step-by-step guide.
- Get practical dos and don'ts for handling difficult patient emotions.
Meet the expert who will guide
you through this course
Meet Denisa Moravcik Debrecka, a respected psychologist and bestselling author of Modern Psychology. What makes Denisa uniquely suited to lead this course is her ability to connect mental health expertise with the specific challenges of dental care.
Having personally experienced anxiety, Denisa has a deep understanding of the fear and even panic that patients may feel in a dental setting. Importantly, Denisa works directly with clients whose anxiety is triggered by dental visits. This real-world experience gives her clear insight into their worries and what they truly need from their dental professionals.