Anxiety in patients submitted to oral biopsies: an overview

ABSTRACT

Biopsy of a tissue from the maxillofacial complex is a reliable and easy-to-perform maneuver that contributes to the definitive diagnosis of the majority of oral lesions. It is a simple procedure that is routinely performed; nevertheless, it generates great anxiety and fear in patients submitted to it. Not only because biopsy is a surgical procedure but also due to the possibility of histopathologic diagnosis of cancer represents major factors associated to anxiety. The present article touches on some of the aspects related to patients' anxiety as one of the adverse factors of this surgical procedure, emphasizing the importance of the dentist in "demystifying" the biopsy procedure