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Anxious Patients

If you experience fear and anxiety just thinking about the dentist, you’re not alone. According to recent surveys, dental anxiety and dental phobia may affect up to 60% of the population. That’s why our team here at Elevate Dental takes extra care to listen to our patients and provide the strategies you need to feel comfortable and safe.

30 Years

Experience

+8000

Happy Patients

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What is Dental Anxiety

Dental anxiety is worse than fear because it often causes people to avoid the dentist or an appropriately qualified health practitioner altogether. This dental phobia can set one up for a lifetime of dental problems that can spread past the mouth and affect the health of the entire body if allowed to continue. How do you know if you experience dental anxiety or are just procrastinating? Some signs of dental anxiety include:

There are some common reasons why people have a fear of the dentist. Sometimes a past negative experience and a dentist or doctor’s office can create a lifetime of anxiety, or television shows may be the cause. Some fears stem from events one cannot recall, while others have recent memories behind them. Some causes of dental anxiety may include:

Unfortunately, dental anxiety can affect people of all ages, including adults and children. This anxiety can be a result of multiple factors, whether that is a previous negative experience with a dentist, or years of learned behaviour from family members that share the same fears. Regardless of the reason, our team are compassionate and understanding of your fears (or your child’s fears) and we will do whatever is needed to alleviate your anxiety and put you at ease.

Patient Results

Every smile is unique, and you deserve a smile that makes you feel confident to be you. Here are just a few of our happy customers who have transformed their smile with Elevate Dental. 

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Dr James is an awesome dentist, I’ve had my pearly whites looked after by him for as long as I can remember and cannot fault his services. From cleaning to general filling, root canals and mouth guards, he does an excellent job. He is always mindful of your comfort and his staff are excellent too. Never had to do any rework because his work is top-notched. Thanks, James!

Alvin A

4.9/5 from 200+ Verified Reviews

5/5

How Elevate Dental Can Help

At Elevate Dental, we do everything we can to make a comfortable and safe space for you to visit. Firstly, we ensure our waiting room is a calm and quiet atmosphere with soothing music. We provide you with noise-cancelling headphones so you can listen to music or watch movies to entertain you during dental treatment.

We can also provide medications that help calm you before your appointment and nitrous oxide (or happy gas) during dental treatment so you can relax and maybe even enjoy the experience. And mainly, you can count on our well-trained, compassionate and knowledgeable staff who will always consider your feelings first. Here is our approach:

We understand that every patient has different needs – so we will always work with you to ensure your treatment is as comfortable and seamless as possible. By listening to you – and learning about what triggers your fear or anxiety – we can easily find a solution that works. Whether you would like us to talk you through the treatment step-by-step or play some music throughout the procedure to take your mind elsewhere, we will adapt to make the experience it as stress free as possible for you.

We understand that visiting the dentist can be a daunting experience, and that some people feel self-conscious about having a stranger examine their teeth. However, we can assure you there is no need to be embarrassed. At Elevate Dental, we would never judge anyone that comes into our clinic. Our dentists take an empathetic to your situation and our only focus is helping you to get your oral health back on track, so you can feel like yourself again.

It is common in dentistry to use medications and calming agents to help alleviate the mental anxiety and physical distress that can occur during a trip to the dentist. The following are two of the medication options that we use at Elevate Dental to help you through your treatment.

Some anxious patients require a calming medication like diazepam before they even come in. If you would like this option, let your dentist know during an exam and we can provide a prescription for you to take ahead of dental procedures.

For the extremely anxious, we offer sedation dentistry with nitrous oxide or laughing gas. This can help make the time go faster while you relax and listen to music or watch a movie. And the best part about sedation dentistry with laughing gas is that it starts and ends quickly, so you can drive to and from your appointment without worry.

What You Can Do

We ask that you share any fears or concerns that you have as early as possible – so we can find the best solution to help you feel at ease before and during your appointment.

Practicing deep breathing can be immensely beneficial at relieving stress and removing any anxiety you are experiencing. Whether it is for your dental appointment, or in your day-to-day life – utilising a calming technique such as deep breathing or even diazepam can help you to feel calmer and more centred.

Most small dental problems such as decay or gum disease can be treated without the need for anything more than a topical anaesthetic. However, when you leave these problems untreated to worsen over time, the procedure becomes more complex and invasive. Regular check-ups will mean that each appointment is simple and pain free, removing any anxiety that you might have.

Child Dental Anxiety

Children are also prone to dental anxiety. This may be due to behaviour learned from parents or pain in a tooth that brings apprehension when someone tries to look at it.

We can help your child calm the fear of the dentist with various methods like toys and movies. Bringing your child in at a young age can help stop dental anxiety before it begins. Our team at Elevate Dental encourages you to bring your child to your dental checkups.

We will make them feel comfortable and even give them a ride in the chair afterwards. Bring a comfort blanket or toy for them, and we will provide an after-visit gift.

All of these techniques can work together to lessen your child’s apprehension when it comes time for their first dental checkup.

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Make an Appointment

Ready to make an appointment or simply have a question about dental phobia? Fill in our contact form below and you’ll receive a message to select a time and service type.

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