It’s very common to be worried, or to have a phobia, about going to the dentist. To support World Mental Health Day this year, we’re going to focus on how our compassionate practice teams can help you combat your fears and make dental appointments more comfortable and stress-free – as well as giving you some top tips about what you can do yourself.
As well as creating a welcoming and calm atmosphere in all of our practices, there are a number of ways that together, we can help you combat or ease your dental phobia or anxiety.
Speaking to our reception team and clinicians about how you’re feeling will help them to tailor their approach to your individual needs and provide extra support if you need it. Our teams are trained to help, so we are used to moving at a speed that’s comfortable for you. By understanding your fears, we can explain procedures step-by-step, provide reassurance, and offer options for anxiety management, such as relaxation methods or sedation.
“A lot of our patients feel like they can’t ask for help, so don’t ever feel embarrassed about telling us how you feel. It’s really important that you ask your dentist what they can do for you if you’re struggling mentally” Louise, Practice Manager
Ask your practice what strategies they have in place to help you calm your nerves. This could be comfortable chairs and blankets to make you feel at home, relaxing music of your choice to take your mind off treatment and buzzers you can use that will alert the dentist to stop at any time – so you feel in control. Some of our practices even signpost you to a hypnotherapist, or allocate more time for your appointment to help build your confidence and trust so you don’t feel rushed. Please note: what we offer will differ from practice to practice, so speak to your local practice for more information.
“If you’re a nervous patient, speak to your practice about whether you can talk to another patient (with their permission and consent) who has had a positive experience, as sometimes this can be really reassuring” Louise, Practice Manager
If your dental anxiety and stress can’t be helped using other methods, and this prevents you from getting dental treatment – some of our practices can provide dental sedation to help you feel more comfortable. It can be used for all dental treatments, including routine procedures such as seeing your hygienist. Or you may feel you only need it for longer or more complex treatments such as crown and bridge work, or dental implants. It can help if you have a strong gag reflex, experience a low pain threshold or when local anaesthetic isn’t enough. Please note: not all of our practices offer dental sedation.
Our practices will do everything they can to help, but there are also things you can do at home too to help ease your anxieties and build your confidence. These include:
We hope that anyone feeling nervous about visiting our practices understand that our professional, friendly and caring teams are here to help and know exactly what you're going through. The support and services we provide to help you combat your dental phobia vary from practice to practice, so please speak to your dentist with any concerns in the first instance and they will be able to help. We offer a wealth of experience and tried-and-tested techniques to help you feel comfortable at every step of your smile journey, whether that’s for a routine dental health check-up or for specific dental treatment.