If you feel anxious about coming to the dentist

A lot of people find coming to the dentist hard. Some put it off for years and then find the longer it goes on, the harder it is to pick up the phone. If that is you, none of this will be news, so it is not a pep talk. It is a description of what actually happens here, so that there are fewer unknowns to work with.

Nervous patients are a normal part of our week, not an exception.

You will not be judged

Whatever state your teeth are in, we have seen it before, and we are not going to comment on how long it has been. People often arrive braced for a telling off. It does not come. What we are interested in is what to do next, not what happened before you got here.

What the first appointment involves

An examination is looking and talking. We check your teeth, gums and soft tissues, take any x-rays we need, and then explain what we have found and what the options are. Nothing is treated on the day unless you have asked for it and agreed to it.

Quite often the news is better than people expect. Something someone has been dreading for five years turns out to be smaller than they had built it up to be. Sometimes it is not, and we will say so plainly as well, along with what can be done about it and in what order. Knowing is usually easier to carry than not knowing.

Things that help

None of these is a cure for anxiety and we would not pretend otherwise. They do make appointments more manageable for a lot of people.

• Tell reception when you book. Just say you are nervous. It changes how the appointment is planned, and it means nobody has to guess.
• Pick a time that suits you. Early, or a quieter part of the day, or whenever you are least rushed. Arriving late and flustered makes everything harder.
• Bring your own music or headphones if that helps.
• Agree a hand signal before we start, so you can stop at any point without having to speak.
• Ask us to talk you through what we are doing, or ask us not to. Both are fine, and you can change your mind halfway.
• Book a visit with no treatment at all first, just to meet us and see the room, if that would make the real appointment easier.

If it is the cost you are worried about

For some people the worry is not the treatment, it is the bill. Our fees are published in full on the fees page, so you can see what things cost before you come. A treatment plan is written down and given to you to take away. You can go home, think it over, talk to someone, and come back with questions. Nothing is agreed in the chair under pressure, and where a plan can sensibly be staged over time rather than done all at once, we will tell you.

Interest free finance over 12 months is available through Tabeo on treatment over £650, and we will always tell you what something costs before it happens.

A Smile Design consultation is free. A new patient examination is £35.

Getting in touch

There is more for nervous patients on our new patients page, including what to expect before you arrive. If you would rather speak to someone first, call us on 0161 969 7464 and say what is worrying you. You can also book online if the phone call is the part you are dreading, which for some people it is.