“I’m terrified of dentists!” “I hate this chair!” “Just thinking about the noise gives me shivers!” “Will it hurt much?”
Unfortunately, the fear of going to the dentist is still very present in today’s society. The good news is that this paradigm is changing every day!
Generally speaking, patients who arrive with this type of anxiety base their fears on specific reasons. Either they’re afraid of needles and the anaesthesia can be an anxiety factor; or because noises bother them; they’re afraid of feeling pain or feeling unwell during treatment; or because they’ve had bad experiences in the past.
All causes of fear and anxiety are valid and none are undervalued by those treating you. That’s why here are 5 good reasons not to be afraid of going to the dentist.
1 – Dentists are health professionals who are here for you.
Dentistry has undergone extraordinary advances over the years, not only in knowledge but also in technology, and all our dentists have advanced training in the procedures they are performing. In addition, they care about your well-being, with their main goal being to treat your health and reduce your fear of going to the dentist.
2 – Dental treatment doesn’t have to be painful.
The fear of going to the dentist and the pain of dental treatments is increasingly a matter of the past. Most dental treatments are carried out under local anaesthetic. For more complex procedures, we can also use conscious sedation, deep sedation or even general anaesthesia. Patients’ comfort is one of our main concerns.
As the treatment doesn’t end in the consulting room, there’s no need to worry or be afraid of going to the dentist afterwards either. We have developed pharmacological protocols to avoid complications and we follow up closely with patients to ensure that everything goes according to plan.
3 – Anaesthesia doesn’t hurt.
Nowadays there are various anesthetic techniques to prevent this from being a painful moment in the appointment and causing fear of going to the dentist, not least because it is one of the first steps in treatment. As well as specific procedures to minimise sensitivity, there are very low calibre needles, pre-anaesthetic creams, controlled perfusion equipment and various relaxation techniques.
4 – The clinic environment is designed to make you feel at ease.
The entire environment of the dental clinic, both in the waiting room and in the dental offices, tends to be comfortable and relaxing so that you have a pleasant experience during your visit to the clinic. The offices are equipped with comfortable chairs, background music, air conditioning and minimised external noise, so that if you are afraid of going to the dentist, we can tranquillise you.
5- We’ll explain everything about your treatment.
The doctor-patient relationship is fundamental to us and trust is the foundation of our relationship. We want to involve you in the treatment and explain everything about your problems and how we can solve them. We value your expectations and opinions and give you various treatment options so that, together, we can decide which plan suits you the best. The more knowledge you have, the less anxious you will be.
As you can see, there’s no reason to be afraid. Book your assessment appointment on a day that’s easy for you and talk to your doctor about everything that’s worrying you. We’ll do everything we can to make you feel comfortable.
Dra. Sara Howell Franco, OMD 8211
