Blog

Dental phobia is incredibly common, 1 in 4 people in the City of London suffer from some form of the phobia. The condition is characterised by a refusal to make or meet dental appointments, an uncontrollable anxiety at the thought of attending the dentist and anxiety upon exposure to the typical sounds and smells of a dental practice.
Luckily, more and more dentists are becoming more understanding and aware of their patients phobia. They are trained in how to give a kind and compassionate service in order to set their patients at ease and encourage them to return for further treatment or check-ups. In addition, advances in dental technology means that you have less to fear from a visit to the dentist than ever before. Even local anaesthetic can now be delivered in the form of ‘the dental wand’, a computerised injection system, this means that needles and pain are no longer involved in any stage of surgery.
If you are still nervous about attending an appointment with your dentist, follow these simple tips in order to feel more at ease and overcome your phobia. Firstly, if you pick an appointment in the morning, you will have less time to stress about the check-up and less time to make your excuses as to why you should not go. If you get your first appointment over and done with, you will soon see there is nothing to fear from a simple visit. If you are worried about any treatment or surgery you may need, organise an appointment with your dentist for a simple consultation. They can walk you through the stages of any treatment, reassuring you about the safety of each step, and you can even arrange to have a ‘stop signal’, a sign you may use to let them know you need a break. Finally, if you are still nervous, take a friend of family member with you to the appointment, no dentist will mind and it may just make you feel more at ease.