Table 2.

Overview of the management strategies for patients’ anxiety and pain in dentistry, as recommended in the literature

Recommended ways to manage patients’ pain and anxiety	Authorsref. no.
Asking the patient about anxiety before dental treatment	Corah et al.12
	Lodge & Tripp14
	Armfield et al.18
Using a dental anxiety scale prior to dental treatment	Dailey et al.16
	De Jongh et al.17
Allowing the patient to withdraw care (‘providing control’)	O'Shea et al.13
	De Jongh et al.17
Providing effective anaesthesia	O'Shea et al.13
	De Jongh et al.17
	Brahm et al.20
Taking into account pain as a symptom, an intra-operative issue and a possible consequence of the treatment	O'Shea et al.13
	Desjardins15
	Brahm et al.20
Briefing the patient on possible postoperative pain	Desjardins15
	Muglali & Komerik19
Considering prescription of appropriate painkillers	Desjardins15
	Muglali & Komerik19