Dental Care for Nervous Patients in Ashby

Conquering your fear of the dentist

Very few people would declare that they enjoy their visits to a dentist. Some may feel satisfied that their teeth are in good condition and it is unlikely that any work would be needed whilst others may dread what the dentist will say each time. For those even with good teeth though, there is still probably a residue of fear about ‘what if’ whereas those with poor teeth probably feel their heart sinking when they enter the waiting room.

These reactions are entirely natural and we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t have them. For some people though, the fear and anxiety surpasses these levels and a feeling of real terror can overtake them at the thought of visiting the dentist.

At our Ashby dental practice though, we are aware of the impact that this can have on a person’s oral health. All too many people either cancel appointments or don’t  make them in the first place if they fear the worst. This of course a case of putting your head in the sand as what may well just have been a simple filling (which is terrifying enough for some) may well end up as an extraction later with the need for a dental implant to replace the lost tooth.

Gum disease too, which is easily treatable in its early stages can have devastating effects if left to advance, resulting in a great deal of problems including bad breath and potential tooth loss.

We pride ourselves, and train our staff accordingly, to treat our patients with great care and respect and find that for some people, something as simple as a warm welcome and a smile can help to relax them, especially if purely for a check up visit. For those who are more nervous dental patients though there are many aids and relaxation techniques which may possibly help.

With the aid of these techniques and re-assurance from our dentists, the vast majority of our patients find their visits to be less frightening than they thought they would be. As with most fears, it is the thought which usually turns out to be worse than the reality.

For patients whose main fear is that of the needle, a very common fear, we offer a gel which is placed onto the gum before the injection is placed which helps to numb the effect and eases any discomfort.

During all dental procedures we can advise nervous patients of how to signal that they are in discomfort so that we can allow them to have an element of control during it.

Above all though, it is important to remember that, nervous or not, a visit to the dentist is important and to ignore this is only to store up dental problems for the future which are likely to need more invasive procedures to correct.

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