Most of us don’t love going to the dentist, but for a surprisingly high number of patients – the Oral Health Foundation estimates that approximately 10 million adults in the UK suffer from dental anxiety to some degree – it can develop into a dental phobia that prevents them from seeking treatment even if they are suffering extreme problems with their teeth.

Now, a new study published in the International Dental Journal has revealed the true impact that dental anxiety has on sufferers. The issue extends beyond your oral health and, in fact, it can negatively affect social wellbeing such as income and education and will typically extend into the next generation.

Dealing with dental phobia

A few years ago, a study published in the British Dental Journal evaluated the use of cognitive behavioural therapy or CBT. Twenty-one patients with severe dental phobia underwent CBT and twenty of them were able to undergo dental treatment without sedation.  For patients that are unable to undergo this approach, choosing a dental practice that is experienced with treating nervous patients is key.

At CK Dental in Bristol, we are skilled at putting nervous patients at ease. Our approach is as follows:

• An informed patient is a confident patient: we discuss all aspects of your treatment and what you can expect every step of the way as we find that patients are less nervous if they are fully informed
• Pain-free dentistry: no dental procedure should be painful and we use pain relief and local anaesthetic injections to ensure the experience is pain-free
• Conscious sedation is an option: carried out by our consultant anaesthetist, the patient is semi-conscious, so they are completely comfortable and relaxed throughout their procedure.

At CK Dental, we differ from other private dental clinics in the UK as we can also offer patients the option of having dental procedures performed under general anaesthetic. This can only be performed within a hospital environment and CK Dental is located in the Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, so you have all the assurance of a state-of the-art facility combined with our expert care.

To find out more about our approach to dental phobia, call us on 0117 906 4868 to arrange a consultation.