Are you afraid of visiting the dentist? Then you are not alone. At Harley Street Dental Clinic we specialise in helping nervous and phobic patients to get the dental treatment they need. Regular dental appointments and good oral health aren’t just important for your teeth and gums; many studies have shown links between poor oral health and conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
Fear is the single biggest reason patients in the UK give for putting off visiting the dentist. Dental fear can range from mild anxiety to full-blown phobia and has myriad causes. Whatever the reason and level of you fear, Harley Street Dental Clinic can help.
Causes of dental phobia
There are many reasons patients give for being afraid of the dentist. These include bad experiences in the past, exaggerated horror stories from friends and family, embarrassment about the state of their teeth, and specific triggers including a fear of needles or the sound of the dentist’s drill.
At our Harley Street clinic we will take time to find out what causes your fears and will talk through them in our relaxed, comfortable environment. Dental techniques have advanced greatly in recent years, and if you haven’t been to see the dentist for some time you may be pleasantly surprised.
We will explain any procedures and analgesia requirements in detail, and will ensure that you know the hand signals to give us should you need a break during treatment. Don’t worry about holding up the dentist – we know everybody needs a breather sometimes, and ample time for breaks will be built into your appointment.
At Harley Street Dental Clinic we will never be judgemental; we empathise with nervous patients and if you have not seen a dentist in many years all we want is to restore your oral health and give you a smile to be proud of. We offer the option of listening to music or watching a film during treatment, and also have the option of treatment under hypnosis, which many patients find helps them to relax.
For those who need a little extra help to relax, we offer treatment under sedation. There are two options: relative analgesia, also known as inhalation sedation, which uses a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen that you breathe in. You will be awake and able to cooperate with your dentist, but will remember little about treatment.
The second option is intravenous sedation, carried out by a consultant anaesthetist here at our Harley Street clinic.