If you have reservations about visiting the dentist then you are not alone, this is more common than you might think. Many of us are nervous about visiting a dental environment, which can present itself as fear, stress or general anxiety. For some, this nervousness can mean that we put off visiting or find excuses to delay routine check-ups. This can lead to long-term problems with your oral health, so it is important to try and find a way of getting past these fears.

The fact that you are here reading this piece is a positive sign – it indicates that despite your concerns you are looking for a way to overcome this in order to ensure you are giving your teeth, mouth and gums the specialist attention they require.

Depending on the severity of your dental anxiety, the symptoms may present themselves in a psychological or physical way – many will have a combination of these. Aside from the worry that is causing the problem in the first place, those with dental anxiety may demonstrate some or all of the following symptoms:

• Sweating more than usual
• Feeling faint (maybe even actually fainting)
• Faster than normal heartbeat
• Chest palpitations (brought on by the fast heartbeat)
• Overt distress and unease
•  Feeling or acting snappy/irritable/agitated

Here at CK Dental, we understand that even one of these symptoms is extremely unpleasant, and two or more can feel debilitating. With that in mind, it is no wonder that people’s anxiety can make them feel unable to attend their appointments.

How to address the problem of dental anxiety

The first thing to understand is the implications of allowing dental anxiety to stand in the way of your appointments. Your oral health will begin to suffer over time without regular check-ups. If you develop a problem with your teeth, mouth or gums, then if it is addressed quickly there is a greater chance that it will not develop into something more serious.

Not only that, if you allow your anxiety to keep you away from the dentist then it becomes a ‘vicious cycle’ – once you miss one appointment is it easier to miss another and another. The longer you stay away the harder it will be when you really need to see a dentist.

There are many ways in which we can help you overcome your concerns about visiting the dentist, so why not pop in for a relaxed and informal chat with staff ahead of your appointment to help put you at ease. Staff will be able to talk you through some of the techniques we use here at CK Dental to help patients feel at ease. Not only that, we really listen to our patients to understand what their concerns are. If we understand what is troubling you then we can work hard to make you feel as comfortable as possible.

We also offer dental treatment under sedation and dental treatment under general anaesthetic. General anaesthesia can only be administered in a hospital environment and CK Dental, which is located within Nuffield Health Bristol Hospital, is one of the few dental clinics in the UK that are able to offer this procedure.

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