Which is only possible when the patient, no matter how old, fully trusts the dentist. C.M McElroy said: "Although the operative dentistry may be perfect, the appointment is a failure if the child departs in tears."

In her book Great Communication = Great Production, Cathy Jameson talks extensively about the prevention of fear - in which both the parent and the dentist play a role. It is much too easy to blame the dentist for not being able to gain your kid's trust and overcome fear - the problem could very well rest with you in the way you raise your kids.

In her Dental Question on urbanMamas.com, Melissa Wenger mentions that she was given a form to sign that lists a series of increasingly aggressive behavior management techniques that could be used on kids. We are at a scary place if dentists need to get authorization to use physical restraint when treating kids. What changed since we were kids? I think it is safe to assume that dentistry techniques and equipment improved substantially over the past few decades. I say - bad parenting is the #1 reason for kids' fears of most everything - including the dentist.

A dentist's commitment to prevent fear should be to send these panic stricken kids home - with a bill.