If you’re nervous about visiting the dentist, you’re not alone. With some studies showing that 53% of the UK population suffer from fear and anxiety when visiting the dentist, it’s a common feeling.
While that anxiety may feel legitimate, it’s important to note two things. First, regular dental visits will reduce the risk of the sorts of treatment you may be worried about, and secondly, support from the right dentist will put you at ease and make the process feel less intimidating.
Put your dental health first
Covid has created a high number of missed dental appointments, and as we speak the running tally of lost dental appointments since the pandemic is at 40 million.
If you’re a nervous patient, this can make it even easier to put off your regular dental check-ups, which act as the prevention and early detection steps for any problems. Remember, getting your teeth checked regularly is quick and painless, and it’ll give you the best chance of avoiding future treatment to correct any issues.
How we can help
While understanding that your check-ups are important is one thing, picking up the phone and feeling confident about booking your next appointment is another. We understand this, and that’s why we have specially trained staff and the best technology to make your experience comfortable and anxiety-free.
Our focus is to offer the best care in a gentle way, and treating nervous patients is something we are especially experienced in. We also have certain staff members that have undergone extra training to create a calm environment for nervous patients of all ages, including children with special needs, with an excellent understanding of what may be behind those fears.
What to expect if you’re nervous
The most important thing to remember is that if you’re nervous, you can talk to us about your worries before you undergo any check-up or treatment. To begin, we’ll set up a consultation with you to give you time to explain your thoughts and fears about visiting the dentist. You won’t have any kind of treatment during this first appointment, it will be for us to speak to each other only.
If you do need to have any treatment beyond your regular check-up, we also have the technology to help alleviate certain fears. For example, if needles and anaesthesia are anxiety-provoking, we can use an advanced method called The Wand, which virtually eliminates any pain associated with injections.
Struggling to relax during dental appointments is another anxiety we can help with. If this is debilitating for you, we can turn to conscious sedation as an option. With forms for both children and adults, it allows you to relax into the appointment and calm anxiety.
If you don’t have your next check-up in the diary and dental anxiety is holding you back, call us on 01737 240123 to see how we can help. Or visit our webpage to read more about how we work with nervous patients.
