Ask our dentist – coping with dental anxiety

At Sea Street Dental, we have a great reputation locally for helping anxious patients get the treatment they deserve and feel more confident in their oral health and smile. Every member of our fabulous team work closely with patients to help overcome their fears, take the time to listen to your concerns and wishes and build confidence in visiting the dentist. Many of our previous nervous patients even claim that they enjoy and look forward to their visits now!

Some reviews from nervous patients:

“I would 100% recommend Sea Street Dental, especially if you’re a nervous patient, like I am. Hiten is great, he explains everything really well during your visit and puts you at ease.”

“As a very scared dental phobic patient I met the lovely dentist Emily and she made me feel at ease, she was caring and compassionate. After a few tears I let her look at my teeth, and I’ve booked another appointment for next week – something I never thought I would do!!”

“Even making the first phone call was extremely emotional for me but the receptionist was outstanding and put me at such ease, I knew I had chosen the right place.”

As we receive many questions on dental anxiety, we asked our principal dentist, Hiten, to answer some burning questions on how to manage nerves, how to take that initial step and other ways our team can help you feel at ease. 

I’m too nervous to even pick up the phone and make an appointment. How can I go about this?

Taking that first step to contact a dentist can be one of the most difficult things if you have dental anxiety. If you can’t get your head around making that phone call, why not send us an email on info@seastreetdental.co.uk, send us a message via our website www.seastreetdental.co.uk or send us a private message on our Facebook page @seastreetdental, where one of our very friendly team will be happy to message you back. After having taken that brave first step, you’ll feel more confident going forward.

I haven’t visited a dentist in years, is there any way I can visit the practice first without receiving any treatment initially?

When we schedule a new patient consultation, we don’t carry out any treatment at that initial appointment. It is our time to get to know you, listen to your concerns and wishes, so we can help you in the best way possible. Only then will we organise appointments for you to help carry out any treatment you may require.

I am embarrassed about my oral health and this is putting me off making an appointment.

A lot of patients have long standing embarrassment about their teeth or gums, but we would reassure you that you should never be embarrassed about talking to our team about your dental problems. Our team have extensive experience and it is likely we have seen far more unhealthy mouths than yours! Whilst we understand that it may often be difficult to talk about these things, our goal is to help you achieve the confidence in your oral health that you may have always wished for.

I’m convinced that I will have to undergo a procedure that will be very painful. Is there anything you can do to make it less painful?

We are very committed to making dentistry as pain-free as possible. Making teeth comfortably numb is one of the main reasons why patients recommend us so regularly. Often while we carry out treatment, patients are so engrossed in watching the TV on the ceilings, that they are amazed when we finish! 

If you are worried about the injections, don’t be! We use a numbing gel on the gum prior to numbing a tooth and should you have any worries during treatment, we will always stop and listen to you so we can make it more comfortable.

Is there anything I can do to help me relax during my treatment?

Breathing deeply is a very good way to keep those pesky stress hormones at bay. Practice some deep breathing at home before you come in; slowing your breath and exhaling to a longer count than you inhale will make you calmer. Another great tip is to bring some headphones so you can listen to your favourite music during treatment. If you forget, don’t worry, we can play whatever music you like, just let us know what your favourite album is, and we’ll get it on for you – we promise not to judge your music taste!

One of the biggest things that help patients relax during treatment are the televisions on our ceilings in each of the surgeries. These will keep your mind off your treatment, especially if you come in at 2pm when Countdown is on!

Do you have any other tips for nervous patients? 

Make that first contact with us, either via phone or the other channels we discussed above. The first step is often the hardest. We are very confident that we can help even the most anxious of patients; our reputation is built on the time we take to listen to you as an individual and help you achieve the best health possible. Our popularity is built on word-of-mouth and we are proud of how many of our patients are keen to recommend us. That first contact you make may be the start of a journey that really helps improve your quality of life!