Nervous patients: fear of the dentist

Many people are so fearful or anxious about visiting the dentist that they let their oral health suffer as a result. It is important to see a dentist regularly so we can assess and deal with problems before they become large problems and become painful, irreversible or expensive. With modern dentistry, there are many techniques and methods that we use to help overcome your anxieties and make your dental experience comfortable and even fun! Did you know you can now watch a movie at Bow Lane whilst you are having treatment.

Why are people fearful of the dentist?

There are several reasons why people are phobic about visiting the dentist. It may be something as simple as the clinical smell of a dentist that puts people off or a previous bad experience that has scarred someone for life. These are the mostly common reasons we see at Bow Lane:

  • Previous negative experience – you may have had a bad experience in the past that has put you off going to the dentist. This may be due to a painful procedure, a phobia of needles, or even a personality conflict with the dentist or dental team.
  • Unsympathetic dentists – you may have had an experience with a dentist who was not sympathetic to your needs and concerns, and this has put you off going back to see a dentist.
  • Embarrassed about the condition of your teeth and gums – you may have neglected your oral health and your teeth over the years and are embarrassed about visiting your dentist for fear of what they might think or say to you. Many people fear that their dentist will ridicule or belittle them.
  • You may have a fear of dental instruments being placed in your mouth. This may trigger a gag reflex or cause an anxious feeling where you find it difficult to breathe.
  • It may simply be a fear of the unknown.

The first step you can make in overcoming this fear is to recognise it and know that something can be done about it. There are several ways in which many dentists will try to help you overcome your anxieties, and many things that you yourself can do. These include:

  1. Communicating your fears and concerns – we at Bow Lane are good listeners which can go a long way towards relieving your anxieties. It is important that you can talk about your fears and concerns with your dentist openly and comfortably.
  2. A full explanation of the procedures involved – often something as simple as your dentist explaining how the procedure will be carried out step by step in a non-technical way, or giving you the opportunity to ask questions, will relieve that fear of the unknown.
  3. Try to be open and honest with your dentist if you feel embarrassed about the condition of your teeth or your lack of previous dental care. The important thing is that you’re taking a step in the right direction to resolve the issue.
  4. Relaxation and distraction techniques – we offer distraction and relaxation techniques such as an NuCalm, hypnotherapy, relaxing music, virtual vision DVD goggles and oils to mask any clinical smells.
  5. Using a pain-free injection technique – before giving an injection, your dentist can apply a numbing gel (topical anaesthetic) to your gums. Giving the injection slowly reduces the pressure and causes less pain. We can also use a local anaesthetic delivery system called “The Wand” which delivers the local anaesthetic slowly via a computerised system and doesn’t look like a syringe.
  6. Sedation, both oral or intravenous, can be used to put you in a relaxed, dream-like state of mind. Sedation is an effective treatment for very anxious patients.

NuCalm

The latest technology that can help calm the brain to relax nervous patients.

Developed by American neuroscientists, NuCalm, induces a state of deep relaxation even in highly anxious patients.

Using a system known as cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES), NuCalm consists of a generator and a headset that transmits relaxing electrical and sound frequencies to the brain.

After about five minutes, brain waves have been shown to slow to a state that is associated with deep relaxation, meditation and sleep.

Patients are also asked to wear dark glasses and are given plant based tablets of a brain chemical called GABA – commonly available as a nutritional supplement – both of which deepen the calming effect.

Please ask your Bow Lane Dentist about NuCalm