General Dentistry
Treating Nervous Dental Patients across Plymouth
Are you scared of visiting the dentist?
We see plenty of nervous dental patients from across Plymouth, so if you feel nervous about visiting the dentist or hygienist you are not alone. One in four of us are scared of the dentist, often due either to a negative past dental experience, embarrassment about their teeth and mouth or a fear of pain or the unknown. In 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.
At Larkham House Dental Practice, we promise to look after you really well, especially our nervous dental patients, offering only gentle dentistry. We specialise in looking after dental patients who suffer from dental phobia. Our caring, highly experienced staff will take the time to talk through your fears in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Before treatment, you will be provided with all the available options, an explained treatment plan, outlining costs and steps to be taken. We also devise signals so that you can tell us if you need a break during treatment.
Dental Advances
If you haven’t seen a dentist for several years because of fear or anxiety, be reassured that you should find the experience more bearable nowadays.
Advances in technology have also improved dentistry. Treatment can now be completely painless. A numbing gel can also be used to numb your gums before an injection so you don’t feel the needle.
Visit Dental Fear Central for information on dental anxiety.
How do we manage dental pain?
Many of our very nervous patients are now comfortable with our ‘no pain’ techniques and numbing gels, there are various methods and techniques we can use to alleviate your dental anxiety and pain. Dependent on your tolerance and sensitivity we can use numbing agents (topical for tenderness) or sedatives (by injection for nerve sensitivity) during treatment.
We encourage our patients to listen to their favourite music or an audio-book during treatment, while always being able to alert the dentist or hygienist. If you are experiencing discomfort or want us to give you a moment, on your agreed signal we will stop immediately, ensuring that you always remain in control of your visit to Larkham House.
Tips on how to ease your dental fear
- Find an understanding dentist.
- Visit the surgery, meet your dentist and tell them about your fears
- Pick an appointment early in the morning, so you don’t spend all day dreading it.
- Your first appointment will simply be a check-up, no fillings, drills or a needles.
- Take a friend to accompany you throughout the check-up.
- Agree a sign with your dentist to signal that you need a break and want them to stop, keeping you in control.
- Start gradually with a clean and polish then work up to more extensive treatment.
- Take your phone and earphones with you, so you can listen to music to help you relax.
Dr Graham Adlard
Director
GDC 78803
BDS (Lon), Pg Dip ClinDent, MFGDP RCS (Eng)
Clinical educator
NHS Dental Chair for South West England
Special interest in:
- Gerodontollogy (older generation dentistry)
- Complex Dentures
- Periodontics (gum disease)
- Anxiety control (nervous Patients)
To Diploma level.
He also has a interest in:
- Dental Aesthetics including Teeth Whitening and Dental Veneers (smile improvements)
- Facial Aesthetics (anti wrinkles and fillers)
- Implants (Small Bicon implants)
For which he has undertaken many hours of advanced courses.
Graham qualified from The Royal London in 2000. Following his experience in hospital with Maxillo-facial surgery, community and
general NHS practice, Graham became principal and sole owner of Larkham House Dental Practice. Vivek Giddani became a
director in 2018.
Graham has been a facilitator and clinical supervisor for the Peninsular Dental School from its inception to the present day where it has become one of the leading dental universities in the UK.
Graham is the NHS Dental Chair for South West, overseeing all aspects of primary and secondary care. His ethos is to secure the
longevity of NHS dentistry and improve referral networks.
Graham aims to promote good Oral Health from Bristol to the Isles of Scilly.
What do our patients say about treatment at Larkham House?
