top of page

Nervous patients, dental phobias and dental anxieties

 

Dental Phobia and dental anxieties
​

If you are one of the many thousands of people who suffer from some dental phobia or anxiety, you can be assured that at Your Smile Clinic we will take our time to make you comfortable and relaxed. Our team are experienced in treating nervous patients and it is one of the most rewarding and satisfying reasons we do what we do - to help people overcome their anxieties and help them achieve the smile they have always wanted but were too scared to pursue. 

 

Why do so many people have dental phobias or anxieties?
​

Many patients tell us that they have had a really bad past experience and that it has traumatised them. Others have heard horror stories from others or seen a bad representation of dentists in the media. It is important to understand that as all patients are different, not all dentists are the same. At Your Smile Clinic we really love what we do and we genuinely want you to feel comfortable with us. We will also be realistic and honest with you with what you can expect from your treatment, and yes some treatments will be unpleasant and uncomfortable. If you want to come and meet us, feel free to make an appointment for a free consultation and you can get a feel for what it might be like to be treated by our team.

 

What is the problem with having dental phobias or anxieties? 
​

People with a dental phobia often avoid going to see a dentist, and some put up with pain for months or even years due to this fear. This can lead to recurrent infections and could impact on your general health and wellbeing. Some people cannot eat properly due to painful teeth but avoid going to the dentist, this can lead to them being malnourished, and some people choose to eat soft foods that don't require chewing leading to a poor diet and other health complications.  Some people are so embarrassed by their teeth that they will avoid showing their teeth and smiling. This affects their confidence, which can affect their career and relationships.  If you are ready to make a change, become painfree and increase your confidence, please contact us and start your journey to a healthy and beautiful smile. 

 

Gentle Dentistry
​

We like to get to know each and every one of our patients and we find that this helps our patients tremendously to feel looked after and cared for. We use many techniques to help you feel comfortable, relaxed and at ease with us, and we understand that all patients are different and not everyone responds to the same methods. What we do for all our patients is invest in time to build a relationship and trust. Some patients prefer for us to talk which distracts them, some don't want to know anything about the procedure whereas others want to know every detail. Some patients like to listen to their own music and zone out, and some patients love to a watch a movie on our DVD glasses. We know some patients hate the dental environment altogether and don't even want to sit in the chair. Our clinic is located in a building that looks nothing like a dental practice, we have a comfy lounge where you can relax before or after your dental treatment. The dentist will happily have a chat with you there first and you can feel comfortable first before your examination. Please let us know when you book your appointment if you have specific dental fears or anxieties. 

 

Fear of needles and injections 
​

We use special numbing gel to numb the soft tissue of the gum before the dental anaesthetic and we take time to administer the dental anaesthetic. This is the most common cause of pain during an injection if the anaesthetic is administered too quickly as it tears the tissues. Many of our patients comment that they didn't realise we had injected as they could not feel a thing, and many say it was the most painless filling they ever had.  If you have a needle phobia, please let us know before your appointment.​

 

Dental Sedation 
​

Dental sedation (also known as conscious sedation for dentistry) is a procedure that you can have to help you relax during treatments if you are very nervous or anxious. A sedative medication is given to relax your muscles and calm you down, making the treatment stress-free for both you and the dentist. You will still be conscious so you can communicate with the dental team but you will be a lot more relaxed and feel sleepy or drowsy. It feels a bit like being drunk. After the treatment, you may not remember what has happened and think you have been asleep because the medication has some amnesic effects. Although dental sedation does help with reducing pain experienced during treatment, you will usually still require a local anaesthetic because you are still conscious. Many patients don't even realise the treatment has even happened when they come around, and we often get patients who don't believe we have actualy completed any treatment and are completely amazed.

 

Dental sedation is ideal for you if you suffer from dental phobias or anxiety, and helps many patients overcome their fear of visiting the dentist. It is also great if you have a severe gag reflex or medical conditions that cause uncontrolled muscle movements which would normally makes dental treatment difficult because the sedation medication helps to relax the muscles. Even if you do not have a dental phobia, you can still benefit from sedation dentistry for treatments that are very lengthy, complex or uncomfortable. Dental sedation is not for everyone though, some patients prefer to be in full control of their dental experience.

 

Dr Angela Ly has treated many nervous patients with sedation dentistry. She has worked in several hospitals in Manchester and has also provided dental sedation for local NHS oral surgery referral services in Middleton and Oldham for extremely nervous patients that were referred by their own dentist because they were too frightened to undergo dental treatment without dental sedation. 

Call us on 0161 327 2878 for more information

​

​

 

 

bottom of page