Feeling nervous about visiting the dentist is something that can affect children or adults and it can stem from a wide variety of factors. Depending on the root cause of the problem and the age of the patient, different tools and techniques can be tried out in order to try and offer the necessary reassurance to overcome this.

If a child has had a bad dental experience while young (for example having a tooth knocked out and needing treatment, having an oral injection that caused pain) then the memory of this may remain with them into adulthood.

For adults, the cause of dental phobia may be due to a number of reasons:

• A very common reason for these feelings is due to the perceived lack of control in the situation, some patients report feeling vulnerable in the dentist’s chair which leaves them feeling agitated and anxious
• Some struggle to trust dentists (and possibly other medical practitioners too)
• Some may also have had a negative experience in the past which has left them ill at ease with dentistry in general,
• Others may have suffered from a head or neck injury which has left them feeling uncomfortable with the positioning required for the dentist to access their mouth, or just generally concerned with having more treatment in that area,
• If there is another condition that patients are suffering with (such as acrophobia or claustrophobia) then this can compound the issue.

Encouragingly, many adults who have suffered from dental anxiety in the past report that finding a dentist who is understanding and sympathetic to their feelings helps enormously in terms of finding a way to overcome how they feel. Here at CK Dental our team appreciates the challenges that anxiety can cause patients and we are here to help in any way we can.

Looking at dental phobia coping methods

There are many tips and techniques that can be utilised to try and mitigate these feelings. Taking deep, rhythmic breaths can help slow down your heartbeat and help you feel more in control. This will also help reduce sweating and the feeling of palpitations caused by a racing heartbeat. Distractions are also an effective technique. Trying to focus the mind on something completely different can really help take your mind off your worries. Many patients suggest listing to music, audiobooks or podcasts; all of which are a good source of distraction in this situation.

If all else fails, then speaking to your GP about a referral to a psychologist can really help. Techniques such as CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) can help you understand more about what it is that is causing you so much concern, and experts can help with bespoke coping techniques.

Another option is dental treatment under sedation. Referred to sometimes as ‘twilight sedation’, conscious sedation involves putting the patient into a semi-conscious state that allows them to be comfortable throughout their treatment, whether it be a simple cleaning or a more invasive, lengthy dental procedure.

Here at CK Dental practice in Bristol, we are also one of the very few dental practices in the UK to offer dental treatment under general anaesthetic. General anaesthesia can only be administered in a hospital environment, which is why CK Dental, which is located within Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, The Chesterfield in Clifton, is perfectly placed to offer this service.

Call us on 0117 905 9866 to arrange a consultation to discuss treatment options for dental phobic patients.

As we look forward to the new year – and with it our new year’s resolutions – the Oral Health Foundation is keen to encourage us to donate to the Save a Smile appeal, a charity which aims to help educate and inspire people to take better care of their oral hygiene.

As with all charities, the resources they need, the material they use, the ways in which they can share their messages and advice; all tale time and money to facilitate effectively. And that’s where you come in. Many people haven’t heard of the Save and Smile appeal, so here at Bristol dentist CK Dental we wanted to do our bit to help raise awareness of this worthy cause.

Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation Dr Nigel Carter explains that each donation “can help fund some of the programmes, campaigns and resources that provide everyone with the tools they need to properly take care of their oral health.” Dr Carter goes on to explain: “In 2020, we will focus on giving these issues the urgent attention they require to help improve the quality of life for millions. But we cannot do that without you.”

What can your donation help achieve?

Just a modest donation can help the Save a Smile charity produce leaflets and information that can be shared with community groups, educating about how to achieve and maintain a healthy smile. A larger donation enables community outreach care such as home visits to patients suffering from serious oral illness such as mouth cancer or can help produce materials that can be used to educate young people in our schools and colleges. A substantial donation can help the charity provide larger level education for patients in the greatest need, such as the elderly or those who have complicated medical needs and as such, need a different approach to help get these important messages across.

Whatever you feel willing and able to donate, your help will be welcome. And as many of us look to the new year as a way of giving something back after the inevitable excesses of Christmas, we wanted to help spread the word of the good work this charity is doing.

Last month was Mouth Cancer Action Month, an awareness-raising initiative which aims to educate people more about mouth cancer and also help prevent and treat the disease.

According to the Oral Health Foundation, as many as 8,300 people in the UK each year are diagnosed with mouth cancer. This number is increasing year on year and is responsible for more deaths than testicular cancer and cervical cancer combined. The difference, however, is that both cervical cancer and testicular cancer have benefitted from some very effective awareness-building activity, which has really helped educate individuals about what to look out for in terms of symptoms. Mouth Cancer Action Month hopes to raise awareness of mouth cancer in a similar way.

In terms of awareness building, as with many nasty illnesses, the sooner you detect that something isn’t quite right, the sooner you can get it checked out – and if necessary, begin treatment. Tackling mouth cancer early gives people the best chance of survival.

The objectives of Mouth Cancer Awareness Month include:

• Helping people know and recognise the symptoms of mouth cancer
• Encouraging them to take greater awareness and responsibility for their oral
  health
• Encouraging people to regularly check for unusual changes inside their mouths
• Being proactive if you believe you have found something unusual and get this checked out by a dentist quickly

The kind of unusual changes in your mouth that you should be looking out for includes red or white patches in the cheeks, mouth or throat, mouth ulcers that you just can’t seem to shift, or lumps/swollen areas in the mouth, head or neck area. If you notice any of these then don’t wait for your usual dental check-up, book in as quickly as possible. Best case scenario
is that it will be nothing to worry about but put your mind at rest by getting it checked by an expert.

It is widely recognised that smoking is one of the biggest contributing factors to mouth, throat, neck and many other cancers, so if you are smoker it is sensible to be even more vigilant.

For more advice or if you have any concerns, call 0117 905 9866 to book an appointment at our Bristol dental clinic.

Trends indicate that fewer people are booking themselves in to get their teeth checked regularly by a dentist these days, and here at CK Dental we feel this pattern is a cause for concern. Keeping your teeth and gums healthy is extremely important, not just because we only get one set of adult teeth so really should do our best to look after them, but because it is known that poor oral health can have a detrimental effect on many other areas of people’s health.

Oral health research

The Oral Health Foundation has recently commissioned a piece of research to explore why fewer people are visiting the dentist these days for a routine dental check-up, and their findings are interesting. Survey data indicates that cost is the biggest barrier, with over one-third of Britons (36%) admitting that they are choosing not to visit the dentist to save themselves money.

This a big increase versus the previous time this data was collected, with just 17% citing financial concerns in the previous year. There are other factors to consider as well as cost; 22% cite feeling anxious about visiting the dentist as a barrier, 18% fear getting bad news and 8% indicate that work commitments get in the way of their dental visits.

Dr Nigel Carter OBE, the Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation, believes cost is a factor that the government must not underestimate when looking at why the number of people visiting the dentist may be in decline. He is keen to stress that it is his belief that the government should not progress with its plan to raise dental charges by 5%, which is the current proposal. He says “the cost of visiting an NHS dentist is increasing far beyond that of inflation and pushing many of the population to breaking point. The decision to yet again raise the cost of a dental check-up will hit the poorest areas of society even harder and force even more people to avoid dental visits.”

Young people worst affected

The survey suggests that the worst affected demographic are younger people, who are really feeling the financial strain. It has been well documented that there have been some marked changes to the amount of disposable income young people have these days. Challenges such as significant increases in university tuition fees, increasing rental costs and overall increases in the cost of living are meaning that some young people are now prioritising other things over their oral health.

At CK Dental, we understand that price is often an issue for patients, so we offer dental treatment plans that help spread the cost of routine oral healthcare. Call us on 0117 905 9866 to find out more.

Dental anxiety is one of the most common phobias we share and almost half of all British people say they fear going to the dentist, triggered by the thought of needles, drills or even just the general dental setting and a routine check-up. Worryingly, this results in almost 12% experiencing such acute anxiety that they will avoid visiting a dentist for as long as possible – often until it becomes an emergency.

Dental anxiety typically results in poor oral health, whether through missed dental appointments and not taking care of your teeth properly at home. Combined with smoking or high sugar consumption, this can result in gum disease and cavities that can have a profound impact on a person’s life. Self-confidence in social settings can be affected and simple actions such as eating and chewing can become challenging.

The profound impact of dental phobia

Dental phobia is no joke as it can have serious consequences. There is a growing body of evidence linking gum disease to other health concerns that affect the body as a whole. Gum disease can increase your risk of developing serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and dementia as well as causing problems in pregnancy.

In terms of dental treatment, skipping regular check-ups and putting off going to the dentist in the short term, often results in the patient requiring the complex and often lengthy procedures, such as tooth extraction, root canal or crowns, that was their main fear all along.

Your dental phobia treatment options

The good news is that there are steps you can take to tackle your dental phobia. Here are some of the dental phobia treatment options you could explore:

• Therapy to address dental anxiety: one option to overcoming this or any phobia is cognitive behavioural therapy, known as CBT. One recent study carried out by researchers at King’s College London found that four-fifths of dental-phobic patients who attended the CBT service at King’s Dental Institute were able to have dental treatment without sedation
• Dental treatment under sedation: also known as conscious sedation, this entails using gas and air or sedative drugs to relax the patients while they undergo treatment
• General anaesthetic dentistry: for very severe cases of dental anxiety, performing the procedure under general anaesthetic might be the most appropriate option, particularly if the planned procedure is very lengthy and likely to be uncomfortable for the patient. This is offered by very few dental practices because it has to be performed in a hospital setting, but our dental practice in Bristol is situated in the local Nuffield hospital and we are able to offer this option to our patients.

At CK Dental, our caring and compassionate team of dental practitioners aim to make the whole experience as calm and relaxed as possible, as well as offering a range of options for tackling dental phobia. For more information on how you can overcome dental anxiety and remain smiling, call CK Dental on 0117 905 9866 and arrange a consultation with our lead dentist Cornelius Krause.