Anxious About Dentists?
Lots of people feel this way, and there's no reason to feel embarrassed. Here are the practical steps that help, from your very first message to the last appointment of your treatment.
I'm Frightened of the Dentist. How Can a Lanark Practice Help?
In plenty of ways. At our Lanark practice, the first step is letting us know what scares you when you book, and a WhatsApp message is perfectly fine, so we can plan around it before you come in. After that: a first appointment that can be just a conversation, a stop signal we always obey, gel to numb the gum before any injection and, where nerves are severe, IV sedation for treatment at £500 a session.
Why It Helps to Tell Us
The first step is simply to tell us you're nervous and, if you can manage it, what about. Dental anxiety comes in many forms. For some people it's needles. For others it's the shrill sound of the drill, a strong gag reflex, lying back while someone leans over them, or embarrassment about the state of their teeth. Some are mainly anxious about cost.
Every one of those calls for a different approach, and knowing yours means your dentist can prepare before you're in the chair instead of finding out partway through. If something made a difference at a previous practice, for better or worse, let us know that as well. A friend or family member is welcome to get in touch on your behalf if that feels easier.
Common Worries and What We Do
| What worries you | How we handle it |
|---|---|
| Injections | Numbing gel goes on the gum first, then the injection is given slowly and gently. Lots of people hardly feel it |
| The sound of the drill | Bring your own headphones if you like, and we always warn you before anything noisy |
| Gagging | Work done in short spells with pauses, digital scans on our iTero scanner rather than mouthfuls of putty, and sedation for a severe reflex |
| Being judged | That won't happen. Neglected teeth are nothing new to us, and we're simply pleased you're here |
| Feeling out of control | The start is your call, and raising the stop signal halts us straight away |
| An unexpected bill | Every fee is set out in writing in your plan before treatment starts |
If one of these sounds like you, tell us. It changes how we plan your visit.
Message Us Before You Book
Let us know what's worrying you, however you want to put it.
Small Steps Before Your Appointment
- Send a message rather than phoning. You can WhatsApp us on 07904 195925. A single sentence is plenty to get started.
- Ask for a chat only. A free consultation can stay a conversation; we'll only examine you if you ask us to.
- Choose your time. The first appointment of the morning means less time sitting and waiting, so ask for whichever slot suits you.
- Do the paperwork at home. Your medical history is completed online before your visit, so there's less to fill in when you arrive.
- Bring someone along. They're welcome to sit with you during the appointment.
- Cut back on coffee. Caffeine can make a fast heartbeat feel worse. Have a light snack beforehand as well.
- Write your questions down. Anxiety can make your mind go blank, so keep a list on your phone.
During Your Appointment
Before anything starts, we agree a stop signal, normally lifting your hand. If you use it, we stop, every single time, without question. For lots of people, knowing they can stop is exactly what makes it possible to begin.
We explain what's about to happen and why before we do it, and let you know before anything loud. If you'd like regular pauses, we work in short bursts. Music or a podcast in your ears is fine. Steady breathing helps as well: breathe in for a count of four, hold briefly, then breathe out for four. It's hard for panic to build when your breathing is slow.
Nothing happens without your agreement, and you can change your mind at any moment, even halfway through.
For Severe Anxiety: Sedation
If you need treatment, IV sedation can take the dread away. We place a fine cannula in the back of your hand, and within a minute or two you feel relaxed and drowsy, rather like nodding off on the sofa. You can still hear and answer us, but the fear melts away, the time passes quickly and you'll recall very little afterwards. Your mouth is numbed in the usual way, and we keep watch on your breathing, pulse and oxygen from start to finish.
An adult needs to bring you and take you home, and for 24 hours afterwards you mustn't drive, drink alcohol or sign important documents. IV sedation costs £500 a session, plus £250 for every extra 30 minutes. Our sedation guide covers how to get ready.
If It's Been a Long Time
Whether you last saw a dentist three years ago or thirty, getting in touch is usually the hardest part, and things become easier from there. We concentrate on what we can do now, not on what's been missed. You might start with a conversation, have a gentle look round your mouth when you feel able, then take home a written plan split into urgent, important and can-wait, each item priced.
Toothache today? Same-day emergency slots are held back each day at £85, open to registered and unregistered patients alike. Our guide to coming back after a long gap explains what happens.
It Gets Easier
For most people, it genuinely does. Fear feeds on uncertainty, and each appointment that goes just as we described wears a little of it away. Starting gently, perhaps with a conversation or a visit to Fiona Dyer, our hygienist, and building up from there usually works better than trying to do everything at once.
Once you're attending regularly, visits stay short and surprises are rare, which is far kinder than a long absence that ends in an emergency. And if treatment is lengthy, sedation is always available, so you never have to simply grit your teeth and bear it.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.