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Posts Tagged ‘anxiety’

You Wouldn’t Fear Our City Leeds Dental Team If You Knew Them

Thursday, October 16th, 2014

4361359_blogWe understand that facing the dental chair can be anxiety-inducing, but we are here to help you and our amazing dental team has experience and expertise in providing care for nervous patients. We are a very friendly bunch and we promise every patient that we will do everything we can to make them feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible. With us behind you, you don’t need to worry and you can face your dental appointments without any fears at all.

Treatment for nervous patients

Dental fear is very common and most of our patients admit to feeling at least a little nervous when they come to the practice, especially if a complex procedure is around the corner. We are very caring and compassionate and we make time for our patients; we are happy to show patients around the practice, introduce them to dentists and answer any questions before you have treatment and we also offer techniques, including sedation, to make treatment less daunting.

Sedation is a popular choice for nervous patients and it can really make a difference to how you feel before and during treatment. With sedation, we use sedative medication to bring on a deep state of calm and patients feel completely relaxed during the procedure. When you are under sedation, you won’t feel any pain, but you will still be conscious, so if you want to speak to your dentist you will be able to do this.

After sedation, you’ll be able to go home, but we do suggest that you ask a friend or family member to drive you home and stay with you while the effects of the drugs wear off, as you may be a little drowsy.

If you’re worried about going to the dentist or you haven’t been to the dentist for many years because of dental anxiety, we can help you to overcome your fears. Call us now to speak to one of our friendly reception team or pop in to the clinic if you are in Leeds city centre.

City of Leeds dentist treats dental phobia with DVD goggles

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Dental phobia is a condition that means a person’s fear of the dentist is so great that they are unable to visit the dentist, causing their dental health to suffer as a result. Many dentists report that the most anxious patients are often the ones with the most serious dental concerns. This is because they are unable to rationalise their fear against the need to have dental treatment. It is important for all patients, no matter how great the phobia, to visit the dentist before their dental problems become irreversible. It is also important for many anxious patients to realise that many modern dentistry techniques are far less uncomfortable than they previously were.

There are many reasons why people are afraid of the dentist. The most common reason by far is a traumatic experience earlier in life. This could either be a painful procedure or a particularly unsympathetic dentist, which has put the patient off for life. Other common reasons are a sense of embarrassment about the condition of their teeth, a fear of dental instruments, or increasingly common, the transferred phobia. This is when a patient who is afraid of the dentist transfers the fear onto their children. All of these fears are common and not unusual but there are ways to overcome them.

One of the most useful ways to overcome your fear is to simply communicate them with a dentist. By expressing exactly what it is you are afraid of, a dentist can tailor your treatment accordingly and put your mind at ease about what exactly the procedure will involve. Patients often find that the reality of treatment is far less unpleasant than what they have imagined. Many patients also come to realise that dental technology advances have changed the way a procedure is performed meaning it is now much less uncomfortable.

For patients who still feel anxious about treatment, many dentists offer relaxation techniques such as aromatherapy and self-hypnosis to enable patients to remain calm during treatment. Scented candles and DVD goggles are two of the latest distraction and calming methods available.

For patients with extreme phobias it is possible to be completely sedated with medication before treatment. Whatever the most suitable way for you to relax, it is vitally important that you overcome your fears and visit the dentist. Healthy teeth and gums could save you years of unnecessary pain and misery so make an appointment now to discuss your fear with a City of Leeds dentist.

Leeds dentist uses sedation to provide anxiety free treatment

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

In the UK, 93 per cent of people admit to having a fear of the dentist. For the most part they are able to overcome those fears as they know how important a check up is to their dental health. However, for nearly 30 per cent of patients, the fear of the dentist is far more serious and they avoid dental visits completely. This ‘dental phobia’ prevents these patients from receiving the dental care they need, putting them at risk of sacrificing their oral well being.

One option for patients who are unable to receive dental treatment due to dental phobia is to receive treatment under sedation. This practice has been widely used with great success in the USA and Canada and is now being implemented in the UK. It requires no needles and aims to establish a calm and relaxed state in the patient for the duration of treatment by using sedative drugs. These often take the form of tranquilisers, anti-anxiety medications or nitrous oxide, delivered through a variety of means, and can relax a patient to the extent that they can not remember the treatment afterwards.

When administered by a professional, sedation is a safe and effective way of getting patients through traumatic dental procedures. Unlike a general anaesthetic, sedation does not render the patient unconscious, as often the dentist will require the patient to be awake and cooperative during surgery. It is always recommended that patients undergoing oral sedation are accompanied by a responsible caregiver, who can take the patient home after surgery and stay with them for several hours until the effects have worn off.

The benefits of oral sedation are fairly obvious. Patients who would otherwise neglect their oral hygiene and who may be suffering painful dental conditions are able to receive the treatment they need without undue anxiety. Procedures that can last hours, may seem like only minutes to a sedated patient which will greatly limit the discomfort felt by the patients. Ask a Leeds dentist about oral sedation if you or a family member suffers from dental phobia and receive necessary dental treatment without undue anxiety and stress.