Nervous Patients Frequently Asked Questions

Many people are nervous about visits to the dentist. Many have fears with certain treatments or simply cannot handle the thought of pain. We understand these fears and go out of our way to ensure your visit to the dentist in not a traumatic one.

We at the Anchor Dental Centre have a 3 stage approach to assisting Nervous Patients.

If the Patient is able to come to the Practice, we book a longer session with the Dentist for a Consultation. This enables the patient to get accustomed to the surroundings, and ask questions in a relaxed manner.

No treatment is undertaken at this session. Once the level of anxiety is understood, we book treatment with the same Dentist, and possibly recommend Oral Sedation, which involves the use of Valium (see further information on this approach)

In our experience, once Patients have a relaxed consultation, a lot of anxiety is removed. However, for more extreme anxiety, or Dental Phobia, an NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) session may be of value. This is approach assists patients in 'reprogramming' their attitude to dentistry, and can overcome traumatic childhood memories.

One 50 minute session gives remarkable results.

I'm terrified of the dentist?

Relax. Gone are the days when a trip to the dentist meant you would feel the effects weeks after. Many people fear the dentist but so much can be done these days to help you. Remember, good oral health is part of your overall heath and fitness, it is essential that you visit the dentists regulary.

What can be done to help?

Many dentists now practise a number of relaxation techniques as either an alternative or to complement sedative medication.

I haven't been to the dentist for a while, will I need a lot of treatment?

Probably not. With a good brushing and flossing routine you probably will not need anything major to be done. Gone are the days when a trip to the dentist resulted in a filling or tooth extraction. Todays modern fluoride toothpastes have drastically reduced the levels of tooth decay that we once had.

How shall I make that first appointment?

It may be an idea to visit the surgery before making your appointment to familiarise yourself with the surroundings and smells to gain confidence. Look around, do other people in the waiting room look as nervous as you or are they cheerful and happy. Tell your dentist that you are nervous and that you need to be looked after. They will take special care of you and help you gain confidence.