Cork Cosmetic Dentist
Good oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist are recognized as vital factors in ensuring good oral health. However, a visit to the dentist can be daunting for nervous patients and often something that they try to avoid. Unfortunately, over time this can result in minor oral problems developing into something more serious.
Our team understand the concerns of a nervous patient and can offer you tried and tested advice that may help you to overcome your anxieties. Thankfully, modern dentistry includes many techniques and methods to help overcome your anxieties and make your dental experience comfortable and perhaps enjoyable. There are many reasons why you may have become nervous about visiting the dentist and recognizing the cause is a good start. The next step is to let us know that you are nervous when contacting the dental surgery to make an appointment. Rest assured that you are not alone in your concerns and there is no reason to be embarrassed in saying that you are a nervous patient. All our team is ready to support you through your visit to the practice.
During your first visit you will receive an examination from the dentist to determine your current oral health and diagnose what treatment may be required. Please talk to the dentist about the things that make you anxious; our initial concern is to understand your needs and gain your trust. Should any treatment be required then we will outline the treatment for you and obtain your agreement before any treatment is undertaken. It is helpful to mention how much treatment that you can tolerate in an appointment and how much detail you wish to receive about each procedure. Once we agree on a plan of action then we will normally start with short appointments and simple procedures and only extend the length of appointments with your approval as your confidence grows.
A key part of overcoming your anxiety is knowing that you are in control at all times. We will agree a stop signal with you, ie raise your arm, so that you can signal to the dentist that you want treatment to stop.
We also offer the following to help reduce your anxiety during treatment:
A calm and relaxed approach that will ensure that treatment occurs at a pace that suits you.
No pain injections with our computerized anaesthesia.
Conscious sedation to lower anxiety during treatment by means of oral sedatives or nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
Caries laser detection so that dental decay can be detected early before it develops further.
Minimally invasive dentistry including air abrasion where a stream of small particles are used to remove decay instead of the drill.
Non-invasive therapeutic healing with the low level laser to stimulate healing and diminish pain.
Quieter drills to diminish the sound and vibration of dental drills.
Once we have finished treatment we will encourage you to follow a prevention programme that will maintain your oral health and help you avoid the anxiety that might stop you from coming to see us again.
