Dental anxiety and people with developmental disability

Many people experience anxiety when attending a dental clinic or hospital environment; these fears can be exacerbated in people with developmental disability, who may have difficulty understanding the process or communicating their distress. A traumatic experience at the dentist can have significant and lasting psychological impact for people with developmental disability. Individuals who have suffered previous head and neck trauma, or those who have been the victim of sexual assault, can have significant dental anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For advice on trauma-informed care for people with developmental disability, see here.

Some general dental practitioners are especially skilled in managing dental anxiety. Specialist paediatric dentists and special needs dentists undertake additional training in managing anxiety for people with developmental disability. Planning for appointments often requires collaboration between the person with developmental disability and their family or carers, behaviour support planners and medical and dental professionals.

Preparing for a dental appointment with positive behaviour support strategies (eg story boarding) may help to alleviate anxiety; resources to help people with developmental disability prepare for a visit to the dentist include:

• Your Dental Health booklet from the Inclusion group in Melbourne
• I am going to the dentist—a ‘Say less, show more’ resource for children produced by the Agency for Clinical Innovation.

For advice on procedural sedation for people with developmental disability, see here.