The words to use
- Tell-show-do
- Saying what you will do, showing it somewhere harmless, such as on a fingernail, then doing exactly that. Widely accepted in paediatric dentistry.
- Stop signal
- An agreed sign, such as raising a hand, that means stop. Practise it first and honour it the first time it is used.
- Conscious sedation
- Drugs that reduce anxiety while the patient can still talk and respond, such as nitrous oxide and oxygen, or midazolam (SDCEP, 2017).
- Dental anxiety
- Fear of dental care strong enough to affect how people cope or attend. In England's 2023 adult survey, 15% of adults with teeth had extreme dental anxiety.
