Nervous Patients

At Vivid Dental, we understand that many people feel nervous about visiting the dentist.

Our first experiences in the dental chair often shape our perception and attitude towards dental treatment and determine the level of stress or fear that people feel. Nervous patients may have experienced painful and invasive dental processes, noisy drills and equipment, and limited communication from the dentist – this all contributes to the fear and anxiety that many people feel about visiting the dentist.

We find that often the longer a nervous patient has avoided going to the dentist, the more their fears take hold. Understandably, this can develop into a phobia about visiting the dentist. Dental treatment doesn’t have to be painful and nerve-racking. It can be comfortable, painless and reassuring to know you are receiving quality dental care with a gentle touch.

If you consider yourself a nervous patient, and you only visit the dentist if you are in pain, the stress of this situation does not allow you to develop a familiar and comfortable relationship with someone you can trust.

At Vivid Dental, we work hard to develop these relationships with our nervous patients so that our patients feel in control and at ease. We understand how you feel and are work to reduce your level of stress, not add to it.

Tools to assist our nervous patients include Nitrous Oxide (happy gas) and The Wand are available at Vivid Dental. These options can make your dental treatment more comfortable, and ease you into overcoming your fears. Often nervous patients choose to simply have a dental check-up in their first appointment. This means we don’t have to undertake any actual treatment, our dental team will just examine and assess your teeth and gums, and take X-Rays if you feel okay with it. Then, our team can organise a treatment plan for you – and talk you through each step.

You’re in Control. Often people’s fears about dental treatment stem from a lack of control. The noises, the vibrations, the tools – they can all be very daunting if you feel that you aren’t in control of the situation. That’s why we want you to be in control. At Vivid Dental, we want you to tell us what you are okay with, what you aren’t okay with, and what we can do to help. If you need a break every few minutes, that’s perfectly fine. If you’d like us to put the radio up louder for you, we’d love to. If listening to your iPod would help – go for it! You are in control of your dental treatment – you choose the pace and the options we can use to help.

Nitrous Oxide (often called happy gas or laughing gas) is a safe, temporary way to feel relaxed and slightly sleepy during dental treatment. You will remain completely conscious and awake, but feel relaxed, happy and slightly drowsy. Administered easily, with a comfortable mask over the nose, the patient inhales the harmless gas through deep, nose breaths. Within minutes, the patient should feel “warm and fuzzy” – the way you may feel after a glass of wine. When treatment is finished, the patient breathes oxygen and the affects of the happy gas immediately wear off. Patients can return to work, drive, eat and drink, and perform normal daily tasks after using gas.

The Wand is a technological advancement in the way we administer dental anesthetic injections. A machine that houses the injection and anesthetic itself, The Wand slowly drips anesthetic into the gum, painlessly and easily. For those who are particularly uncomfortable with injections, this tool is hugely beneficial.

You may not get to the point where you “enjoy” coming to the dentist, but over time if you see us regularly and before you have major problems, we can gradually build your confidence. This will ensure you, not your fear, are in control when you next visit the dentist.

Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.