Cognitive behavioural therapy and the adolescent patient

Dental anxiety is common in adolescents and is associated with poor oral health status and worse oral health-related quality of life. As these patients move into adulthood, they may continue to be reliant on pharmacological approaches in order to cope with dental treatment and only attend when they have a problem. Managing anxious adolescents is also a source of stress for dental practitioners. This article describes how cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be used to reduce dental anxiety in this group of patients.