Listening to the Unsaid: Utilizing Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) to Manage the Dental Anxiety of a Special Child

This article is the journey of a dentist who adopted the additional role of a healthcare manager and embarked on a transformative journey to enhance the realm of pedodontics. The story describes how the care process and related experiences were improved for a special child who came anxious and worried to a dental office for treatment and returned with better outcomes. Dental anxiety is a known barrier to smooth dental care which is further amplified in children and more so for the special children. In addition to providing the best treatment, we ensured a worry-free environment to release the anxiety of the patient. To achieve this goal, we adopted one of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) related to dental care and integrated this to the care delivery process prior to the initiation of the treatment. This case reinforces the criticality of reducing stress and worry for creating happier and stress-free patients who will experience reduced dental anxiety in the long run. Hence, this is more than just a story of individual growth and professional transformation. It is a testament to the power of listening to the little voices of patients in ensuring that paediatric dental care is not only effective but also positive and empowering for these children.