Is it normal to be scared of the dentist?
Yes. Plenty of people put off the dentist for years, and the reasons are easy to understand: something that hurt in a different chair a long time ago, a fear of needles, the sound of the drill, a strong gag reflex, or simply lying back with someone working in your mouth and no easy way to say stop.
Embarrassment keeps people away too. If it has been longer than you would like to admit, that is the usual reason people call. Nobody here is going to make you feel bad about it, and nobody is going to lecture you about how long it has been.
Tell us when you book
The most useful thing you can do is say you are nervous, once when you call and again when you sit down. You do not have to explain why. It changes how the appointment runs: more time, each step explained before it happens, and breaks when you need them.
Some people like an appointment early in the day, so there is less time to dwell on it, and you can ask for one when you call. If it is your child who is nervous, say so too, and we will take things at their pace. Our page on children's dentistry has a few ideas for home.
Every step explained before it happens
Not knowing what comes next makes everything harder. So before we do anything, we tell you what it is and what you will feel. If you would like to see an instrument, or hear the sound it makes before it goes anywhere near your mouth, ask.
Numbing is done properly and checked before we start. With the tooth numb, most people feel pressure and vibration rather than pain. If you have had trouble getting numb before, tell us so we can allow for it. And if anything hurts, say so or use your signal, and we stop.
A signal to stop, and breaks when you need them
Before we start, we agree on a signal, such as raising your hand. Use it at any point and we stop. It is there for anything: a twinge, a need to swallow, a cough coming on, or just a moment to breathe.
Breaks are yours whenever you need one. Sit up, take a breath, talk for a minute. Knowing you can stop at any time can be what makes it possible to keep going.
Going at your pace
Nothing has to happen all at once. At our Pearisburg office, your first visit starts with a conversation, before the chair tips back, and nothing is started on the day you first hear about it unless you are in pain and want it taken care of. If you need treatment, you leave with a written plan and estimate to take home and think over.
If a long appointment sounds like too much, say so, and we will talk about whether the work can be spread over shorter visits. Once things are on track, a cleaning and exam every six months is how a small filling stays a small filling, and routine visits tend to be the uneventful kind.
Nitrous oxide or oral sedation, if you want them
For some people, the simpler help is not quite enough, and that is fine too. Two kinds of sedation are available here if you want them. Neither replaces numbing, and before either one we go through your health and every medication you take. We will also tell you honestly if you do not need sedation at all.
The two work quite differently:
- Nitrous oxide, sometimes called laughing gas, is breathed through a small mask over your nose. You stay awake and relaxed, it wears off quickly once the mask is off, and it is available on request.
- Oral sedation is a prescribed pill taken before your appointment, which leaves you drowsy and calm. It has to be arranged ahead of time, and someone has to drive you home.
Questions patients ask
I am embarrassed about the state of my teeth. Should I still come?
Yes. If it has been longer than you would like to admit, that is the usual reason people call. Nobody here is going to make you feel bad about it, and what matters is what happens from here.
Do I have to have sedation if I am nervous?
No. For a lot of people, having each step explained, breaks when they need them and a signal to stop are enough. Nitrous oxide and oral sedation are there if you want them, and we will tell you honestly if you do not need either.
Will it hurt?
Nobody can honestly promise you will feel nothing at all. What we can do is numb the tooth properly and check it before we start, and with the tooth numb most people feel pressure and vibration rather than pain. If anything hurts, use your signal and we stop.
Can I talk to someone before I book?
Yes. Call and say you are nervous. We will talk through what has made it hard before and what might help, and nobody will push you to book anything on the spot.
Can you help with a strong gag reflex?
Tell us about it, because it changes how we work. A strong gag reflex is common and nothing to be embarrassed about. Breaks and knowing what comes next help many people, crowns and Invisalign are planned from a small digital scan rather than a tray of putty, and nitrous oxide often helps too.