How our dentist helps nervous patients at our clinic
Worried about attending a dental check-up?
At Coptfold Dental, our dentist Brentwood is proud to be able to help even the most nervous of dental patients to relax. We always want your visit with us to go off without a hitch and will endeavour to make you as comfortable as possible.
Here, we highlight the most common ways that our dentist Brentwood helps our nervous patients to relax.
Communication
If you are worried about seeing our dentist Brentwood, tell us!
As we mentioned before, we know that getting into a dental chair if you have a phobia can be a terrifying experience. So if you need a bit of help managing your dental appointment, please tell us.
We can make suitable adaptations to help you cope, such as offering you earlier appointments, talking to you during your check-up and of course, taking breaks during any treatments as and when needed.
Distractions
For many dental patients who have anxiety, the sound of the drill can cause a reaction that leads them to feel scared. For others, it is simply being in a dental chair, surrounded by unfamiliar objects.
At our surgery, we can offer you distractions if your concerns are based on external stimuli. We actively invite our patients to bring in music or guided meditations that they can listen to via headphones while our team works on their teeth. Not a big fan of music? Not to worry; we can also offer you television to watch while we examine your mouth and you can watch whatever you want. Perfect!
Nitrous oxide
Ever heard of laughing gas?
Called nitrous oxide, we can offer this to you via a mask if you want to feel a bit more relaxed or distant when you come to see our team for a check-up.
And one of the best things about inhaling nitrous oxide is that it will also numb any discomfort that may occur during the examination, while also helping to block out the memory of the procedure. And even better, once the mask comes off, you can go about your daily activities as you would have normally, but be aware, you may be a bit drowsy.
Intravenous sedation
And finally, the jewel in our crown for helping nervous patients cope, intravenous sedation (IV).
Applied via a needle and drip, this method will help you instantly relax and put you into a ‘twilight’ state; you will feel floaty, distant, and pleasant, but will also be able to respond to our team’s instructions to open your mouth wider etc. Before we administer IV sedation, we will need you to complete a health questionnaire, so we can ensure that you do not have any conditions that could be worsened by IV sedation and that you do not take any contraindicated medications.
However, once we have finished working on your teeth, you will need to get home.
We must insist that if you are attending our surgery to have IV sedation, you have an age-appropriate family member or friend come along to support you and escort you home afterwards. You should also refrain from operating heavy machinery for at least 24 hours post-procedure.