Dental anxiety is a common form of anxiety problem, and research suggests that more people with learning disabilities experience dental anxiety than in the general population. Very little work has been done to investigate effective non-medical approaches for supporting people with a learning disability and dental anxiety to access dental care.…

This paper describes a dentist-implemented intervention in which brief escape from dental treatment (contingent on brief periods of cooperative behavior) was provided to manage disruptive child behavior during restorative dental treatment with four children, aged three to seven years. The procedure required no more time than traditional management…

Five dental residents provided with patient behavioral management training showed improved performance of specific dentist-patient behaviors than those not given the training. The training is seen as successful because it was highly focused, behavior-specific, individualized, and carefully monitored. (MSE)