Believe it or not, your dentist actually understands your phobia of the dentist.

A quarter of the UK population have dental phobia, whether that fear be completely irrational, or because of a previous bad experience. One thing we always urge phobic patients to do, is to speak to their dentist about their phobia, but a lot of the time, we get hit with the response ‘but how do I talk about my phobia with my dentist?’ or ‘I don’t know how to tell my dentist I’m scared’.

Today, we’re sharing our tips on how to talk to your dentist about your phobia.

Ask for a consultation.

Consultations involve no treatment and they’re usually really informal. A consultation is the perfect opportunity to chat to your dentist about your dental phobia and what it is specifically that you’re afraid of. If you are comfortable talking about it, your dentist might ask you to share details on previous experiences of going to the dentist. The more open you are in your consultation, the more the dentist can tailor your treatment plan to suit you and your needs. If you want to, you can also bring a friend or relative along to your consultation for some moral support.

Ask questions.

If you don’t understand something your dentist has said, ask them to explain it again. Dentistry is FULL of jargon so your dentist will understand and be happy to go over it with you again until you’re happy. Ask your dentist about treatment options, too! There are many different ways to do things in dentistry nowadays, braces are a great example of this – for years it was only metal braces that were available. Now you can get clear braces, white braces, removable braces! Explore different options with your dentist and work out what treatment best suits you.

Communicate with your dentist during treatment.

Too sore? Need a break? Something doesn’t feel right? Tell your dentist. Your dentist will ask your throughout treatment if everything is ok. If you don’t communicate, they’ll carry on. Be honest if something is worrying you, or if you need a breather. Dentists may show you hand signals to use during treatment to highlight to them whether to stop, or carry-on. This can be particularly useful if part of your mouth is numb and you find it hard to speak.

Find a dentist who can treat dental phobia near you.

If you need to find a dentist near you who can treat phobic patients, check out our website by clicking the banner below. There are hundreds of UK dentists who understand your fears and who are ready and waiting to treat you.