Nervous Patients

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130 North Hill Plymouth Devon PL4 8LA UK

01752 663239 Smile Care Cosmetic Centre

"Raf and Katie, the lovely team at Smile Care have looked after my dental needs for over a decade now. As someone who was once VERY nervous about dental visits, they are incredible at putting you at ease and explaining everything clearly. This is really what visiting the dentist should be like for everyone. Jan's also the on-site hygienist and will keep you entertained as she cleans in places you never knew you had!"

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Our staff are always available to address any specific concerns you might have, but sometimes a bad experience in the past or general anxiety can seem like an insurmountable barrier to dental treatment. It’s usually the case that nervous patients relax when they realise our procedures are pain-free thanks to painless injection techniques, long-lasting local anaesthetics and advanced materials. Even for extensive treatments such as dental implants, most of our patients are able to return to their normal activities on the day of their procedure. Smilecare has a range of solutions to help anxious patients access our dental services:

One of the most feared visits among the entire population is usually that of the dentist.

This is a problem since this fear (most of the time irrational) to the dentistry consultation causes us to postpone appointments more than necessary, skip revisions and only go to request the help of a professional when we have a severe problem. The problem that surely would not be there to have gone before.

Visits to the dentist can be annoying: nobody likes to spend half an hour with their mouths open and with another person watching or working on it. The truth is that they are not usually painful, much less at present with all the means we have to be treated and to make the visit something not pleasant but painless. However, many are still terrified at the mere idea of ​​asking for an appointment, how can we relax before going to the office?

The first thing we have to convince ourselves is that the dentist is not an evil being whose job is to make us suffer. Like any other health worker, he is a health professional, and his task is to help us feel better. One of the most useful things we can do to lose the fear of the dentist, especially if we do not know him, is to go to see how it works. If you talk previously with him and the patient he is with and explain to them your situation, they are sure to be understanding and can help you.

Seeing how he behaves with other patients, how he addresses them, and how he does his job will help us gain confidence in our doctor. Remember: he or she is there to help you, you have to trust that they will be competent professionals in their work and they will do the best for you.

Getting nervous at the dentist’s office, especially when we are going to expose ourselves to a delicate intervention such as an extraction or endodontics, is sometimes inevitable. That is why it is essential to know what the procedure we are going to undergo consists of knowing how and why a root canal is performed will make us calmer when it comes to consulting. This information can be previously requested by your dentist, who will inform you of how the process will be carried out. Don’t be afraid to ask questions: they are there to inform you and to help you.

You can also use some relaxation methods to control the anxiety that this situation can cause us. Control your breathing and take it at a leisurely pace, feeling how the air enters your body through the nostrils and how it travels inside you to the lungs and then gently expelled through the mouth is a good trick that helps us to be more aware of our own body and have more control.

If necessary, go with the consultation: going with your partner, with a friend or with your parents will distract you and make you feel more secure. If you find yourself in need of relaxing, always consult your dentist first (to know that it will not interfere with the process) and your doctor (to be sure that you can safely take them). Natural relaxants such as infusions of lime, passionflower or valerian can also be a good help.

Dental Clinic For Nervous Patients

One of the recommendations that dentists usually make to very nervous patients is to wear headphones to listen to music during the appointment. Some of the instruments used by dentists, such as the turbine, make a noise that can be worrying and annoying. However, it is perfectly safe: music will prevent us from hearing those unpleasant noises and at the same time can help keep us relaxed and have the feeling that time passes faster.

Ask your dentist without fear if he cares if you wear headphones: it is a beneficial resource that gives very good results. As for the repertoire, you can choose a playlist of relaxing music, sounds of nature or some with your favourite songs, which remind you of good times and can evade the situation.

To book a welcome appointment call 01752 663 239 or email smile@smilecareplymouth.co.uk.