Are you one of those people who have had a lifetime of having to steel yourself every time you go to the dentist? Of shaking, sweating with anxiety when you get there, maybe not even being able to go over the threshold of the clinic?

Being scared of the dentist may be entirely irrational, but no amount of logic can help solve a phobia. And about 13% of the world’s population suffers from dental phobia. This is the extreme end of being scared to visit the dentist.

What’s so scary about the dentist?

There are so many aspects of dentistry that can frighten people. Some people are scared of needles. Others have developed a phobia about the drill. Some have had their fears passed onto them from watching parents who were also scared of the dentist. For others, their fears stem from an unfortunate experience in their childhood, back when dentistry was more brutal than today. Now dentists are routinely trained to calm and soothe nervous patients.

The knock-on effects of being a nervous patient

If you keep trying and failing to get to the dentist because of your fears, it could be years since you had a check-up, let alone any treatment. It’s not uncommon for nervous patients to have waited until things have gotten very bad inside their mouths before the pain finally drives them into the dentist for emergency treatment.

The trouble with putting off check-ups and treatments is that any treatments are always going to be driven by an emergency. That means more pain, more anaesthetic, and more time in the chair.

It’s far better to find a way to reduce the anxiety. One way is to tell us about your fears and then we can work together to help to reduce them. Of course, sedation is available. We also suggest coming in to view the practice and having a chat with us before you even think about booking an appointment for a check-up or treatment. We can talk about what makes you anxious and find ways to enable you to relax. Just getting to know us will take some of your anxiety away.