Overcoming dental fear is easier with a dental team you trust; it’s important to us to understand your needs. We’re experienced in treating patients with dental anxiety and have many options available to help you overcome your dental fear.
Talk to us about your fear
Together we can work out what causes you dental anxiety. Talk to us in detail about what prompts your fears. Once we are aware of what triggers your discomfort, we will be able to suggest tips and tricks to assist you to overcome dental fears. Here is a list of things you may be nervous about, print it and circle what prompts your dental fears and bring it to your visit and discuss it with us.
“Super nervous patient here who put off going to the dentist for years! … Amazing experience – calm and patient team. I literally didn’t feel a thing. Highly recommended to all nervous patients… Thanks guys!”
You have control
When discussing your dental fear its a good idea to decide on a “stop signal”. This would be something you would do if you are experiencing discomfort or have questions concerning your treatment. The stop signal puts you in complete control and in turn, helps to overcome your fears.
Take Breaks
Ask us how long the visit may take. If you feel that you are afraid of undergoing dental treatment for a long time, we will always schedule a breather every 15 minutes or we can try and segment your treatment into shorter appointments with more visits.
Keep it simple
Communication plays a key role in combatting dental anxiety. We will endeavour to explain what is happening in easy to understand, plain English. When you know what to expect, you relieve the fear of surprises.
Start Small
Dental fears are quite often heightened when you wait until you’re in pain to visit. If you have dental anxiety we recommend you visit for an initial check-up and then hygienist clean. At this point, it will be easier to discuss concerns and decide on a plan to repair any issues in your mouth.
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Listen to music
We will accommodate anything that you need to help you settle in the dental chair. Popping in your headphones and zoning out to your favourite series or tunes can be a really effective way to combat and overcome dental fears.
Consider sedation
If you’ve exhausted all of the above options and you have not managed to overcome your dental fear you can ask us about treatment under sedation. We offer various levels of sedation available such as: Oral Sedation Medications and IV Sedation.
If you are an anxious patient and you would like to take the first steps to overcome dental fears, get in touch today. Our friendly team will be understanding and reassuring. Start small, book a simple dental exam and get to trust our team.