Being scared of the dentist is pretty normal. Most of us, including us dentists here at Harley Street Dental Clinic, feel a certain amount of trepidation about lying back in the big chair with our mouths open. It’s just about as vulnerable as anyone can get.
But there is a section of society, around 13% of people in the UK and around the globe, whose natural nerves about visiting the dentist have tipped into dental phobia. This is a recognised condition. Feeling a bit nervous becomes something more extreme. People can start to shake, sweat and feel panic-stricken, maybe even have full-blown panic attacks. Some people do not even have to come to the dentist to feel like this, just thinking about going can set them off.
A trained dentist in W1
Back in the day, extreme fear of the dentist was dismissed as silly and people were expected to get over themselves. Nowadays, we dentists are trained to help people with such extreme nerves. Even the clinic here at Harley Street Dental Clinic has been designed and decorated to help you feel welcome, calm and relaxed as soon as you step through the door.
Let’s talk about it
We know it helps if you get to know your dentist before treatment, so if you need it, we can make time for an in-depth chat before you come into the surgery. You can ask all the questions you need to, to help you feel more relaxed.
Stop signals
If you feel you are starting to feel overwhelmed during treatment, we can respond to a pre-arranged stop signal at any time and give you a breather until you are ready to carry on. Treatment may take longer.
Think about something else
It’s amazing how much easier it is to undergo treatment if you focus on something else while we work on you. Here, you can listen to music or an audiobook or even watch a movie (maybe not Marathon Man though).
Sedation
For some treatments, you may need sedation. We have inhalation and intravenous sedation. You’ll need someone to get you home after the latter.
Don’t be scared. We will take very good care of you at this dentist in W1.