Nervous Patients

The main reason adults give for putting off visiting the dentist is fear. Approximately one in six patients are nervous about dental appointments and for some that fear is so intense that it is classed as dental phobia which can cause panic attacks and severe anxiety at even the thought of a trip to the surgery. Many of these anxieties date back to when a visit to the dentist was painful and the school dentist not a positive experience. With new approaches to dentistry and modern techniques and equipment it really is possible to make the visit extremely comfortable and positive.

At Gwynne Dental we are experienced in successfully treating patients who suffer from dental phobia. Our highly experienced dentists and our Clinical Hypnotherapist will take the time to talk through your fears in a relaxed and comfortable environment and will explain any treatments and analgesia requirements. Our building looks out onto a beautiful garden and many comments from patients include how non clinical it feels to be there. Music of your choice can be played. We enable the patient to be in control of the situation by making it clear how any procedure can be stopped by a signal from the patient instantly. All treatment decisions are ultimately made by you as the patient by having had all the options clearly explained to you enabling you to make the best choice.

Needle phobics  – topical anaesthetic is always used, our techniques are extremely gentle and syringes are always out of sight. We pride ourselves on giving painless injections.

There are many techniques to making dental treatment a pleasant experience. For patients that are too phobic to consider treatment without more specialised help we would offer a number of options such as.

• Hypnotherapy: Within dentistry, hypnosis can be used as a nonpharmacological intervention to enhance overall patient comfort and reduce dental anxiety.
• Oral Diazepam: this is a highly effective and short acting relaxant which has an extremely calming effect. The patient needs to be accompanied to the surgery and kept an eye on for the remainder of the day. They would not be able to operate machinery or drive for the remainder of the day. Patients often don’t remember the treatment they have received and there are no unpleasant side effects. Many patients remember it as a positive experience, and this is our preferred choice.

For those who cannot cope with the thought of oral diazepam we can offer referral out of the practice for Relative analgesia, Intravenous sedation and General Anaesthesia.

Prevention

We focus very heavily on prevention with our nervous patients in order to avoid any dental treatment being required. Detailed toothbrush instruction and advise on rotary toothbrushes plus dietary and fluoride advice are discussed at length. Regular check ups to catch a problem earlier can lead to much more minor treatment.

Testimonials

Emma Donaldson – “being a very nervous patient I was recommended to try treatment under oral diazepam. It made the experience very positive and I will be repeating it should I need any further treatment. The people and environment lead to it being relaxed and comfortable. I would highly recommend Gwynne Dental.”

Elaine Lewington – “I was very nervous before my procedure and so George prescribed me diazepam. I took this before I went and it made all the difference. It took the anxiety away and made me relax enough for the procedure to go smoothly. Along with the care and consideration by all of the staff at the surgery. I would definitely recommend diazepam for anyone who feels nervous”