A survey of patient and auxiliary problems as they relate to behavioral dentistry curricula.

The attempt to prepare students to manage problems in their dental practices must be preceded by precise identification of specific problems. The purpose of this study was to identify such problems. A random sample of practicing dentists cited collecting fees, poor patient motivation, patient fear, and broken or cancelled appointments as their most commonly encountered patient problems. The most commonly cited auxiliary problems were retraining auxiliary personnel and poor motivation. The dentists gave support to courses addressing these topics in the third and fourth years of the dental curriculum. The survey supports the increasing emphasis on behavioral dentistry curricula and identifies the most relevant topics for such courses.