Nervous of the Dentist?
Fear of the dentist can very often be attributed to a childhood experience and that fear can manifest itself in many different ways. It could be that you are nervous or scared about specific aspects of your dental treatment, fear of pain or just that you are nervous about the thought that someone will be in such close contact with you.
The fear can become so acute with some that it turns into a phobia and the very thought of the dentist will bring on an anxiety attack. With a dental phobia, many think they will never be able to sit in the chair and have the treatment they need so the anxiety and stress become even greater at the thought of making that call and no matter how many times they tell themselves it is irrational they continue to suffer pain.
Whatever your level of fear we can help and our dentists are trained to put you at your ease and reduce your level of anxiety.
The important thing to remember is to take one step at a time, to follow the Dentist’s advice and to keep calm. Remember you are not alone and our Dentists are aware that for some patients the anxiety is overwhelming so they will take your fears seriously and deal with them sensitively.
How you can help yourself overcome fears.
It can sometimes help to concentrate on something else:
- Listening to music on a personal stereo.
- Try relaxing each part of your body in turn.
- Try positive thoughts, ie: something you are planning later.
- Deep slow breathing hold in for a count of five, then let it out slowly.
- Exercise before your visit as exercise increases the endorphins in your brain and will give you a ‘feel good’ factor.
Medication to ease tension.
Oral Sedation.
Your doctor can prescribe oral sedatives which you should take 45 minutes before dental treatment. Please remember that you will need an escort to take you home as you may be feeling drowsy and must not drive yourself.
Intravenous Sedation.
If you suffer from a Dental ‘phobia’ or irrational fear of the dentist you may benefit from intravenous sedation.
We are happy to arrange for intravenous sedation which will remove any conscious fears you have regarding the treatment you are undergoing. It is perfectly safe and you will feel very relaxed and fall into a natural sleep. The dentist is then able to complete your dental treatment with a relaxed patient.
The sedation lasts about an hour and a half but it will seem as if you just sat down in the chair. Positive visits with sedation can often completely eradicate fears and phobias, so it may well be that after a few visits with sedation, you will feel naturally relaxed enough to have the next visit with just oral sedation.
Please talk to our team, they are happy to use whichever method you choose to help you lose your fear of dental treatment.
As with oral sedation, you will need an escort home and whilst some people have a feeling of nausea after the sedation it soon passes.
As with all general anaesthetics you may well remember nothing of your treatment, this is perfectly normal.
Most people are suitable for sedation however it is very important to fill in the form correctly and let the dentist know about all medications and health conditions you have no matter how trivial. We are unable to offer sedation to those who are pregnant, children under 16 or those who suffer from a serious physical disease.