Friendly, Welcoming Dentistry For Anxious Patients

Your friendly Burton dental team helping nervous patients receive essential oral care

Many people have a certain degree of concern when it comes to seeing a dentist and if we’re honest, probably most would prefer something else if they could. The fact is though, that good dental care is essential and shouldn’t be considered ‘secondary’ to other medical care as it sometimes can be. Aside from any immediate pain from a toothache that can occur, some issues are also now thought to contribute to other health problems.

If dental anxiety is an issue for you, you may choose to avoid ‘optional’ treatments such as teeth whitening but the priority is to make sure that, however nervous or anxious you are about visiting the dentist, you do so in order to maintain a healthy mouth.

A friendly approach

At Mike Allen’s Dental Practice, we believe that helping nervous patients, and indeed, all of our patients, starts with a friendly and welcoming approach. We do whatever we can to make you feel welcome and relaxed when you come to our Burton clinic.

From the moment that you walk through the door, you should be expected to be treated courteously and with a welcoming smile. Although this is a small thing, it can help people to feel more relaxed and in safe hands. Our waiting room and treatment rooms are also decorated in a way that we hope makes patients feel more relaxed too.

Dentistry

Of course, patients don’t visit their local practice to look at the decor or chat with the staff, but to make sure that they have healthy teeth and gums. The biggest factor for attracting patients is to have a team of experienced dentists that have the patient’s best interests at heart. Whilst all dentists in the UK will be qualified in performing essential treatments, the way in which these are carried out can make all the difference to a patient.

We always welcome our patients as they enter the treatment room and will make sure that they feel comfortable and relaxed  before we start any treatment. We are also aware that some patients like to be informed about what will happen during the treatment and are happy to discuss that. We also know that others would rather know as little as possible and just want the treatment over with as quickly as possible. Our dentists will always try to find the right balance here between maintaining a relaxed approach whilst completing the treatment as efficiently and promptly as is safely possible. Ultimately, the most important thing is to have the treatment that you need to restore and maintain healthy teeth.

Although modern local anaesthetics are very good, some patients still have a fear that they will still feel pain. This can be even more so when, for example, a tooth is being filled. It can feel as though the drill will hit the nerve if the dentist goes just one millimetre further. Of course, this won’t happen but the fear can be very real. To help ease this anxiety, we may ask the patient to raise their hand if they need a few second’s ‘breather’ before the treatment recommences. We will advise which hand as this will depend on which side of the mouth the dentist is working to avoid knocking the hand that the drill is in, for obvious reasons.

Helping yourself

Anxiety is a strange thing and is often not easily controlled. Whilst some can simply take a deep breath and just ‘get on with it, it isn’t as straightforward for others. Because your oral care is important though, it is advisable to do what you can to make your visit as calm and relaxing as possible. Whilst we have outlined some of the things that we do to help our patients, there are a number of things which you can do yourself which can help over a period of time.

Not all of these will work for everyone but most are easy to try and could be the key to you overcoming your dental phobia.

Relaxation/meditation – Taking a few moments each day to sit quietly and breath regularly, without the distraction of your phone or TV can really help you to relax. It can take effort at first and the temptation to check your phone for messages can be strong, but over time, this can be an easy and effective way of becoming more relaxed.

Educate yourself – This may not be for everyone but anxiety is often a fear of the unknown. If you are due to undergo a root canal treatment, for example, you might find it useful to watch a video about what happens during the process. We know that this may not be for the more squeamish of you, but it can help you to understand what is happening and that certain sounds and sensations are perfectly normal.

Visualisation – Most of us probably have a place we would rather be. Often, this will be a place we have visited on holiday. Trying to visualise this during your treatment helps some patients get through the short period of time that most treatments take.

Mantras – One or two of our patients have said that they find this helpful so it might help you too. A simple phrase, repeated in your mind, over and over, can take your attention away from the treatment that you are receiving.

Finally, we have over thirty years of treating patients at Mike Allen’s Dental Practice, a large number of nervous people too. If you feel anxious about your visits and especially if it is to the degree that you might be tempted to cancel your appointment, do please give us a call. We are sure that we will be able to reassure you about your treatment and whilst it may never make your ‘favourite things to do’ list, we feel that our friendly and calm approach can help you receive regular and essential care. For this or any other dental issues, please call us on 01283 845345.