How to Overcome Dental Anxiety and Fear

Everyone visiting our dental practice always receives a warm welcome from our kind and caring staff. We have worked hard to create a relaxing environment so people can feel comfortable visiting us, but we realise this isn’t always enough.

Many people feel a little bit of anxiety when visiting the dentist, but they can overcome these feelings to make that appointment to come and see us. Some people have deep-seated anxieties and fears, so even scheduling an appointment feels uncomfortable at best. Unfortunately, these fears can prevent them from seeking regular preventive dental care, and the only time they will come and see us is when they are in pain or discomfort and when it is so severe, they can no longer tolerate these feelings.

If you find visiting the dentist tricky or visits promote feelings of fear or anxiety, please talk to us as we can help. Listed below are some of the most common dental fears that we can help you overcome and include:

• Embarrassment about your teeth
• Fear of being in pain
• Fear of having injections
• Fear of not becoming numb
• Having a strong gag reflex
• Fear of the sights, sounds and smells in a dental practice
• Fear of not being in control
• A previous bad experience in the dental chair

Whatever your reason, we know how to help you.

How We Can Help You Conquer Your Feelings

There is no need to feel embarrassed if it has been a while since you saw a dentist, as our dental team is kind, compassionate and respectful, and you can rest assured we never judge. There is no need to worry that dental care will feel painful, and please remember your initial appointment will only be a dental examination, and no treatment will be provided. However, if you come to see us with a dental emergency, we can provide immediate treatment to help relieve pain and discomfort.

If you need treatment, we will explain exactly what will happen and allow plenty of time to answer your questions. Sometimes simply knowing more about a procedure and what to expect can be very reassuring. Some people also find deep breathing exercises can help them relax before seeing their dentist, or listening to music while in the dental chair is a great distraction.

Before any treatment begins, we will ensure that your mouth is comfortably numb, and we can use various techniques to ensure the injection feels pain-free, using topical gel to numb the injection site first. Slowly administering the injection is another technique to ensure it feels more comfortable.

During treatment, we will regularly check to make sure you feel okay for us to continue, and remember, you can stop treatment at any point just by raising your hand or using another prearranged signal. Knowing you can stop treatment can help conquer feelings of not being in control. If you feel particularly nervous or need lengthier treatment, we can discuss dental sedation to help you feel more comfortable.

The great thing about receiving dental care to restore dental health is that subsequent appointments should feel easier, especially as you have more positive experiences when visiting us.