The recognition of dental anxiety - comment on a letter by M. Höglund et al

What is it about?

Hogland and colleagues suggest that dental clinicians use a 'clinical eye' to judge if a patient is scared based on observable physiological and behavioural distress. We suggest that this needs to be extended to having a 'clinical ear' as well in order to access patients' fear cognitions or thoughts which may not be obvious but reflect fear.

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Why is it important?

The decoupling of aspects of fear, known as desynchrony, may mean that a patient may be frightened and yet show no outward signs of fear and therefore be judged as 'difficult' by clinicians relying only on signs which are visible.

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