Nervous patients
Most
people feel some degree of nervousness or anxiety when visiting the
dentist, the following information we hope will help to show how common
it is and how we can help. If you have any specific questions or want
to chat please feel free to call us on 0208 994 2548, or email us at smilecare@btinternet.com, or pop in for a chat.
I feel embarrassed
Embarrassment is one of the most common concerns voiced by people
who haven’t been to a dentist in a long time. The days of the old
school dentist who “lectures” to their patients are over, in its place
is an open style of communication with lots of care and consideration.
Past events
A very common reason for dental anxiety is from being subjected to
negative remarks by a dentist and or painful dentistry in the past. At
Smilecare we develop a trusting relationship with our patients, where
confidential information can be discussed and solutions found ensuring
a positive and trusting relationship is maintained.
I haven’t been to the dentist in a long time
There is often a concern that if you haven’t been to a dentist for a
long time (we’re talking 10 years or more), the dentist will be shocked
at what they find. Dr Dave at Smilecare: " This is something we
hear a lot from new patients, quite often patients are surprised that
they require little treatment, however where more extensive treatment
is needed, we will often take a stepwise approach so the procedures
aren’t daunting. Our philosophy is to encourage our patients to say
what they want, and how they feel about the treatment."
Im scared I will lose control
Acute embarrassment or fear of the dentist can often bring on
feelings of panic and the sense that you may lose control. This can be
linked to treatment carried out in the past where the dentist didn’t
stop, despite your visible distress. A helpful thing to remember is
that you are the customer, if you want to: sit up in the dental chair,
stop your treatment, even complain about the service, you are free to
do so. We see our patient’s dental care as a partnership, and together
we work towards finding what suits you best.
I can’t bear the thought of painful dentistry
The key to painless dentistry is technique.When delivering the local
anaesthetic this should be done very very slowly, this serves two
purposes, it numbs the immediate area and it allows the anaesthetic to
gently go into the area without force which can be painful. At
Smilecare we use a numbing gel before starting the injection.We take the technique of painless injections very seriously, so much so we practice on one another!
What can be done to help me?
Become your own best friend
This sounds very cheesy, however it is important to be positive for
yourself, don’t tell yourself off, congratulate yourself if you’ve
taken action, for example: called us up for a chat about your options,
made an appointment, or even booked in for treatment.
Treatment options
We can recommend a lovely clinical hypnotherapist (Jane
Hodgkin) to help with the feelings of dental anxiety. Patients report
that sessions with the hypnotherapist have a positive effect that
extends also to other areas of their life. Her details are as follows,
website: www.hypno-west.co.uk, email: jane@hypno-west.co.uk,
telephone: 020 8743 0962. A 1 hour session is £60.
We can chat about various options with medication, we have put some options in a table as a quick glance.
| Medication Type |
Pros |
Cons |
| Beta blockers antihypertensive |
Normally
used for high blood pressure. A small single dose is very good at
preventing a “racing heart “associated with fear and panic. |
It is contra indicated in people with asthma |
| Oral sedative Diazapam |
Usually
we prescribe one tablet the night before a procedure and one tablet on
the morning of the procedure. Patient’s report a feeling of calm and
euphoria |
You
will need to go home and rest after the procedure. We require that you
are collected by a friend or family member as some amnesia immediately
after the procedure can be associated with this medication. |
| Intra venous sedation Diazapam |
This produces very similar effects to the oral sedation, except the sensation is more profound. |
As
with oral sedation you will need to be escorted home and looked after.
There is an additional cost to this treatment as we have an
anaesthetist come to the surgery to administer the i.v. sedation. |
With all of these options, they are choices that you
can consider. It may be that you feel comfortable coming in for a
check up with just taking a beta blocker to stop your heart racing. If
you need treatment you may want to consider sedation. Please feel free
to call us on 0208 994 2548 or email us at Smilecare@btinternet.com Feel free to contact us for further information.
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