Anxiolytic intervention preference of dental practitioners in the Savannah, Chatham County area: a pilot study.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to identify preferred anxiolytic interventions (AI) employed by dental practitioners in the Savannah, Chatham County area. METHODS A questionnaire was developed to test dental practitioner preferences of 11 AIs shown to reduce anxiety in dental patients. The sample consisted of dental hygienists, dental assistants and dentists, randomly selected via the telephone book. A total of 305 surveys were distributed. Prior to voluntary completion of the questionnaire, respondents received oral and written instructions regarding the purpose of the study. RESULTS A 43% return rate (n=131) was achieved. Results from analysis with the Median and Kruskal-Wallis tests suggested that the most commonly used AI was ambient background music (n=109, 83.2%). The second most commonly used AI was having literature available for patients to read (n=99, 75.6%), followed by providing a way for the patient to inform their provider of their anxiety (n=88, 67.2%), the use of pharmaceutical agents (n=79, 60.3%) and decorating the walls (n=68, 51.9%). CONCLUSION It is important for dental professionals to employ interventions and management techniques that may reduce dental anxiety.