I have used a relaxed and friendly approach when anxious patients came into our training clinic. I find that it eases their anxiety if I tell the patient what I am doing and reassure them that they can stop me anytime if they feel pain or want to ask a question. I view putting the patient at ease as one of my primary duties. When someone comes in stressed out, I assure them that we want to make them as comfortable as we can as soon as possible. I realize that people in pain are often not cheerful and do not want to talk much, but I don’t let that bother me, and I focus on helping them find relief. Once the patient’s mouth is numbed up, I check in with them periodically to make sure they are not hurting. When patients know that I am empathizing with their situation, they are able to relax more easily.