Dental Fear and Anxiety

If you hate the dentist, then Niall is the guy for you. For people who feel anxious about a dental appointment, Dr Niall understands that it’s a big deal to come and see a new dentist. For this reason he has designed a service to make this process of re-building as easy and effective as possible. It may seem like a long way off at the moment, but the good news is that it is possible to beat these feelings of fear and anxiety. Deciding to do something about this is a crucial first step, and the fact you are reading this is a positive sign that you’re already being pro-active.

Dental Fear Solutions is a patient-centred approach to tackling dental anxiety and phobia. With dental fear, one size does not fit all. There are lots of things we can do to help including intravenous (IV) sedation, N2O sedation (‘happy air’), CBT, hypnosis, relaxation techniques and ‘The Wand.’ Our aim is to find the approach that suits you. This is only going to work if you’re happy, so working together to plan the path for moving forward is essential. For many, this involves using IV sedation to make treatment easier, whilst others want to tackle the actual fear using CBT. The attention to detail begins with a custom-made questionnaire. This helps to explore what it is about coming to the dentist in particular that worries you, and ultimately how we can best help you establish trust and confidence. As well as fear of the dentist, a lot of patients who attend Niall initially can be weighed down with other emotions such as embarrassment, shame, guilt, a loss of self-esteem, and even the worry of being told off by the dentist about the state of their teeth.

We whole-heartedly assure you that Niall will never judge you, the condition of your teeth, or the severity of your dental anxiety. We understand that fear of the dentist is out of your control so you cannot blame yourself for this. The aim of our service is to help provide solutions, not to dwell on the past.
Dr Neeson says “Every one of our patients is unique. Firstly, I simply take the time to find out exactly what their specific concerns or issues are. Often this can relate back to a previous bad experience at the dentist that can seem almost impossible to shake.  For those affected by this very real fear, it is completely understandable when they have not been to see a dentist in many years. Inevitably this can lead to embarrassment or guilt. We can assure you that we will never ‘tell someone off’ for not seeing a dentist or judge them for the condition of their teeth or phobia.”

What we offer our Nervous Patients

• The option of intravenous sedation ease the experience of treating your teeth
• N2O ‘happy air’ inhalation sedation to allow you to feel more relaxed during your visit
• Techniques to reduce gag reflex, allowing for a more comfortable experience
• Niall works with a CBT therapist to offer cognitive behavioural therapy to those who want to treat the actual fear and not just the teeth
• Dr Neeson devotes extra time to all patients on his Dental Fear Solutions programme
• Pain control with gentle dental anaesthesia during visits
• Use of The Wand, for needle phobic patients
• Dental anxiety reduction with behavioural therapy and Hypnosis
• Realistic treatment plans with time/action calendars based upon individual patient needs
• We provide emotional support before and after each appointment
• You will always be in control in the dental chair with a hand clicker to get Dr Neeson’s attention

Dental Fear Solutions

“The aim of our bespoke service is to provide solutions. Discussing different techniques and options allow us to work together in overcoming that anxiety using whichever approach makes each specific person feel most comfortable. There is no part of my job that gives me more satisfaction than seeing someone conquer that sense of fear that has been suffocating them for years, allowing him or her to gradually reach that goal of a pain-free, healthy mouth and a confident smile.”