Dental phobia is the main reason people put off seeking dental treatment and this means many nervous patients live with discomfort, pain and treatable conditions that can lead to tooth loss and can have a detrimental effect to their overall health. It doesn’t have to be this way!
Our kind and caring dentist have helped to treat hundreds of Leicester people overcome their dental phobia. As Leicester dentists, we believe that everyone deserves a healthy mouth and confident smile and our job is to help you get there. We are proud that our efforts have culminated in us achieving Dental Phobia Certification. This means you can feel confident about that you’re in the best hands.
There are many myths surrounding the dentist that stop people from coming:
MYTH:
The dentist does not have time for people who are nervous like me and who need a lot of encouragement and support whilst having treatment.
FACT:
Your dentist will be specially trained to support and work with patients who are obviously nervous about undergoing treatment and will have done so on numerous occasions. There is no need to think that you are making your dentist’s job harder than it needs to be as this is, in fact, part of their job, and they are there to make sure you feel comfortable and happy with your treatment.
MYTH:
The dentist will be completely shocked and appalled by the state of my mouth.
FACT:
Your dentist is a trained medical professional who has seen countless people with extremely poor oral health. You will be absolutely nowhere near the worst that they have seen. Even if your mouth is in a bad condition, your dentist is trained to help you and will go about your treatment in a professional manner. If you feel that your mouth is this bad, then this is a great reason to visit your dentist!
MYTH:
There is nothing that I can do to help myself overcome my fear.
FACT:
There are loads of things that you can do to help yourself visit the dentist and overcome your fear! There are lots of practical methods and techniques that can be used to help you, for more information click here.
At Smile Essential dental practice, we take your anxiety seriously. As dentists, we understand you may feel embarrassed about your problems, but you need not worry, we are here to help. We are confident that by working together, we can help you to overcome your fears and give you a smile that beams with pride.
MYTH:
Going to the dentist and having an injection into my gum will be excruciatingly painful.
FACT:
Fear of pain is a common dental issue and we routinely use a topical gel or spray for all patients to help prevent any pain. For patients with an extreme dislike of needles, we offer ‘The Wand’. The Wand is a digital method of delivering anaesthetic which prevents the bee-sting pain associated with traditional injections. It ensures anaesthesia is delivered in a controlled, pain-free manner.
There are also a number of tips and advice we over patients to allow the process to be as easy as possible. For example:
• Arrange an appointment as soon as possible – this way you’ll have less time to build up anxiety over the forthcoming appointment.
• Arrange an appointment for the morning. This way you won’t spend the day getting increasingly nervous. We promise you’ll feel better after your appointment!
• The first appointment is a consultation and we will not be carrying out any treatment, so relax.
• When you come back for dental treatment at our Leicester dental Practice we also have a STOP signal, so that if at any time during treatment you feel pain or are uncomfortable, we will stop the treatment and do all we can to help. As the patient, you are always in control.
• The dentist and dental assistant are also trained to guide you through the whole process with meditative breathing techniques to help you control your anxiety. Many of our patients find this hugely beneficial.
• You might find it helpful to bring a friend or family member along to your appointment for support and comfort of seeing a familiar friendly face.
It is with the above-mentioned tips, technology and compassion that we have earned the right to become Dental Phobia Certified.
Get in touch with one of our friendly team for help and support on taking the next step – 0116 2891317