September 2012

Objective: To investigate the current patient pathways used by dentally anxious adults in Sheffield and identify how the patient experience could be improved. Design: Questionnaires gathered stakeholder perceptions of referral pathways and services for dentally anxious adult patients. Completed questionnaires were returned by 113 dentally anxious patients who had engaged with specialised dental services and 111 general dental practitioners (GDPs) (28% and 52% response rates). Results: The recommendations for improving dental care experience of the anxious were: increased guidance and information to GDPs regarding available care pathways; improved availability of psychological services; and more opportunities and choice for patients in the long term management of dental anxiety. Conclusions: The findings from the service evaluation suggest ways in which dental services could be developed to improve the care experiences of dentally anxious adult patients. Key words: Service evaluation, dental anxiety, anxiety management, patient experiences