Book excerpt: The Fearful Dental Patient: A Guide to Understanding and Managing helps dental professionals understand the basics of fear, anxiety and phobias and the role these emotions play in creating negative behavior within the dental environment. The text contains a variety of modalities that help identify dental fear and phobia, as well as chair-side techniques and practical advice aimed at improving patient cooperation and ensuring treatment compliance. Chapter topics include the basic origins of patient fear and anxiety, how to indentify dental anxiety and varied approaches to managing fearful patients of any age. Approaches discussed employ behavioral, pharmacological, sedation and even hypnotic techniques, specifying combinations where required. Chapters also include coverage of a wide range of patients, including those with psychiatric comorbidities and special healthcare needs. The entire dental team will greatly benefit from the proven methods and practical guidance presented to better understand and treat fearful dental patients.