Established in 1964

Nervous
Patient
Programme

Dental phobia is a serious and often paralysing fear of dentistry. Fear is a learned behaviour which, therefore, can be unlearned. Patient-centred behaviour modification that treats you as a whole person - not as a set of teeth - can help you overcome your fears. Our nervous patient programme in Marylebone has been developed to incorporate the following:

Empower yourself
Explanation and clarification of any and all procedures proposed is your right as a patient. If you have a question about a particular procedure, ask it. Empower yourself with the knowledge to alleviate fear of the unknown. You should have input into treatment decisions and choices. You should be honest with your dentist regarding how much treatment you think you can tolerate at first. As you build confidence in yourself and trust in the team that is caring for you, the length of your appointment and the amount of work accomplished will increase.

Sense of control
A signalling system should be established allowing you to stop for any reason, whether it be because you need more anesthesia, want to rinse, or simply need a break. The most common signal is raising your hand.

Never be embarrassed
If you have been ridiculed in the past for your behaviour or if you are embarrassed by your present dental condition caused by your neglect, please express yourself honestly and give your dentist a chance to understand your concerns and show you that they care. You will be amazed at the wealth of treatment options that you might not have thought possible. With modern dentistry, it's never too late to recreate a new smile!

Relaxation techniques
If you feel tense in the chair, the easiest way to overcome this is through forms of physical relaxation. A relaxed body promotes a clear and relaxed mind. The human body cannot be physically relaxed and mentally anxious at the same time. The brain will not process these feelings simultaneously. Physical relaxation methods are easier to accomplish at first as compared to cognitive ones, so first, practise forms of physical relaxation, such as diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and various methods of taught yoga.

By inducing relaxation in the presence of the stimuli that normally induce phobias (such as at the dentist), the fear response is greatly diminished over multiple exposures and you will gradually de-sensitise yourself to these fears as you build confidence. The memories of traumatic visits will be replaced with more innocuous ones and this less threatening environment - coupled with your relaxation methods - will help you alleviate your fears.

Distraction
As you get more comfortable in the dental environment, you can engage in various distraction techniques that are available. The use of an iPod or mp3 player facility on a mobile phone is a common technique. The use of the overhead patient entertainment screen will immerse you in a pleasant visual and auditory environment, making you forget that you are in the dental chair. We suggest distraction techniques only once you have established some trust and confidence because your ability to communicate will be compromised, although it is easy to stop any of these devices if need be.

Predictive pain control
Modern dentistry has many new techniques for the administration of local anaesthesia to block any possibility of pain. All local anaesthetics are provided gently and wherever possible the use of a topical local anaesthetic will further contribute to a pain-free dental appointment.

Extreme cases
Patience and understanding will convert almost any dental phobic but in extreme cases we can use oral or intravenous sedation to help you through your treatment. (Insert link to sedation information leaflet).

Overcoming Dental Anxiety with Annete Marshall
Annette Marshall is a qualified Clinical Hypnotherapist gaining her diploma at the London College of Clinical Hypnosis with distinction. She furthered her studies with the completion of the Post Graduate Diploma becoming a full member of the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis. She is also a Fellow of the British Association of Medical Hypnosis and a lecturer in Clinical Hypnosis. She delivers Master classes for the LCCH and other private and public bodies.
Annette has worked with all types of patients who want to overcome dental anxiety, stop smoking or reduce weight. Annette also works in the area of performance and has developed a successful programme to assist individuals in the recognition of their true worth.

To arrange an appointment to see Annette at Langley Wellbeing Clinic, please call one of the reception team on 0207 224 2727

IV Sedation
Our dentists are trained in and keep up to date with the latest Dental Sedation treatments. More...