As dentists, over the years we have become familiar with the look on some patient’s faces when they enter the practice and also as they sit down in the dental chair. From mild looks of concern to significant anxiety, we have seen them all and dental anxiety is still a significant problem when it comes to ensuring that patients have healthy teeth and gums. Despite the advances that have been made in modern dentistry, perhaps it is something in our ancestral genes that can’t get the image of teeth being extracted using a set of ‘garage’ pliers out of our minds, that makes this so much worse.
A more modern theory, and one which seems to make sense, is that our anxiety being higher about treatment on our teeth, rather than say, our leg, is due to the proximity to the key senses that we have, namely, sight, sound and smell. All of these are located in the head area where dental procedures take place. Accepting that anxiety about treatment then is normal, let’s take a look at what we, at Blake Dental Witham, can do to help our patients who experience this.
First let’s take a look at ‘why’ patients should still attend their dental appointments, no matter how anxious they are about it. The fact is that ensuring the health of our teeth and gums is an ongoing matter and requires regular attention, and sometimes treatment too. Virtually all dental problems that arise will become much worse if they are not treated early on.
Let us take an example of a nervous patient who decides either to cancel an appointment or not make one at all if they sense a slight throbbing sensation in their tooth. This is quite likely to be a symptom of tooth decay and should be treated. The mild sensation though may be quite bearable for the patient, or they may find that it can be eased sufficiently by taking a painkiller tablet. For now, this might work.
The reality though, is that while the sensation is being managed, bacteria and acids are finding their way ever deeper into the tooth. One day, that patient is likely to notice that the sensation is no longer manageable but has turned into a full blown agonising toothache. At this point, even anxious patients tend to make an appointment to see us.
If the patient above had seen us when they first noticed the problem; in all likelihood all that would have been needed was a small filling. While they may not have actually enjoyed the experience, the local anesthetic would have numbed any pain and the procedure would have been over quite quickly.
The anxious patient, on the other hand, who waited until pain struck, is likely to have to undergo a more extensive and invasive procedure. If they are fortunate, the tooth might still be filled, albeit with a larger and deeper filling which takes longer. The damage that they have allowed to worsen may require a crown to be fitted to preserve the tooth or even require a root canal procedure. There is also a risk that the tooth may need to be extracted; something that wouldn’t have happened if earlier treatment had been sought.
All of our staff are aware and trained in dealing with nervous patients. We hope that you will find us to be caring and sympathetic to your concerns and we are happy to explain anything that you wish us to do so. It might surprise patients to know that not all dentists happily skip along to their appointments either. Anxiety is perfectly normal and you are far from alone.
Dr Katie Blake is a dental phobia certified dentist so as you can see, we take this seriously and do all that we can to make your appointments as comfortable and relaxing as we possibly can.
Most people do manage to keep their appointments and even though they may feel anxious, undergo any necessary treatment that they might need. For a smaller number of patients though, the level of anxiety is so high that they might cancel and put their head in the sand until they have no other choice but to come to our Witham dental practice. For these patients, or any undergoing lengthier treatments such as tooth implant placements, we are able to offer you dental sedation to make the experience even more comfortable.
To help even the most dental phobic patient receive any necessary treatment, we are pleased to offer both oral sedation and conscious sedation. Oral sensation is administered in the form of a tablet which you can take before your appointment. The dentist will advise you of the best time to take it for the maximum benefit. This is a milder form of sedation that will help to ‘take the edge off’ for those whose anxiety levels are relatively moderate.
For the most anxious patients we can arrange to provide ‘conscious sedation’. This does not put you to sleep as the old style ‘dental gas’ did but leaves you fully conscious but in an extremely relaxed state. To provide this, an anaesthetist will attend the practice and administer the sedative. Using this, even the most anxious patient will be able to feel relaxed throughout their treatment.
We will discuss this with you in more detail if you decide to have sedation, but it is important to remember that both of these will leave you unable to do many tasks safely for a while afterwards. You will need to bring a responsible adult with you to make sure that you get home safely. You should book a day off work until it has worn off and under no circumstances drive or do anything which could prove to be dangerous. You will be given more information about this at the time.
Hopefully, you can see from the above that we really do care about our nervous dental patients and we are always happy to discuss any related issue that you might have with you.
If you currently don’t see a dentist or have cancelled appointments due to your anxiety levels, why not consider seeing how we can help you? For more information or to talk to us about your fears, please call Blake Dental on 01376 501688.
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Katie Annabel Blake trading as Blake Dental is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Financing First Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Katie Annabel Blake is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Financing First Limited may not be so authorised and regulated.
