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 our teeth and mouth or 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 surgery.
Our focus is on providing exceptional care for dental patients who experience dental phobia. Our compassionate and knowledgeable team will have open conversations with you in a comfortable and calming atmosphere to address your anxieties. We make sure to present you with all the available options and thoroughly explain your treatment plan, including costs and steps involved, before proceeding with any procedures. Additionally, we implement signals to ensure you can easily communicate with us if you need to take a break during treatment.
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.
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 audiobook 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.