title: Referrals to a secondary care dental clinic for anxious adult patients: implications for treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to determine the methods suggested by general dental practitioners for management of patients with dental anxiety whom they refer to a dental hospital setting, the treatment modalities eventually used with such patients and the relationship between patients previous sedation experience and the current referral.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive referral letters (n = 125) for management of patients with dental anxiety over a 16 month period were analysed for content, including reason for referral and suggested treatment modalities. Patient records were also examined for previous sedation experience.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From 115 referrals eligible for analysis, the dentists requested management of anxiety using pharmacological methods in 113 referrals with only two referrals mentioning psychologically-based treatments. In secondary care, 29% of the adult referrals opted for dental treatment using psychological techniques alone.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In spite of the efficacy of psychological treatments for dental anxiety, primary and secondary care dentists appear not to be suggesting or promoting their use for patients with dental anxiety. Further research into the availablility of, and barriers to accessing the full range of services for those with dental anxiety, including patient perspectives, needs to be undertaken.
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee Dental School. p.m.mcgoldrick@dundee.ac.uk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McGoldrick
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Levitt
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Jongh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016292:Procedural Sedation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016854:Dental Anxiety / Q000628:therapy*; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D006113:United Kingdom