Personal communication between dentist and patient is of primary importance in dental practice. Dentist-patient relationships can present problems when patients are nervous or require particular forms of care and an awareness of the views and expectations of individual. This book provides the means to understand, prevent and treat many of the difficulties encountered by dentists. It describes the principles of psychology and sociology applied to dental practice, giving specific guidelines on the most effective way to deal with psychological problems, such as anxiety and pain.

This new edition places more emphasis on the link between the sociological and psychological aspects of care related to public health and health promotion concerns. Awareness of these issues continues to increase in line with growing research output, and their importance is stressed in current General Dental Council Recommendations for the dental undergraduate curriculum.