Dental anxiety: help for nervous patients

You are not the only one

Many people feel nervous about the dentist. Some worry about pain, some about needles or the sound of the drill, some about being told off for staying away, and some about the cost. Dentists at Cleveland Clinic say plainly that dental anxiety is common.

Feeling nervous is not a weakness, and it does not mean you cannot get the care you need. The steps below help most people.

Before your visit

• Tell us when you book. Say you are nervous when you book online or call. It helps us plan more time and the right approach.
• Write down what worries you. It is easier to share a short list than to explain when you are tense.
• Pick a time that suits you. Some people prefer a morning visit, so there is less time to worry during the day.
• Bring someone. A friend or family member can come with you.
• Meet us first. You can ask for a visit just to talk, with no treatment that day.

In the chair: you stay in control

Agree a stop signal

Before anything starts, agree a signal, such as raising your hand. When you use it, the dentist stops. Knowing you can stop at any time helps many people relax, even if they never use it.

Hear each step before it happens

Ask the dentist to tell you what they are about to do and what you will feel. NHS England’s guide to dental anxiety lists “tell-show-do” as one of the first methods to try: the dentist tells you what will happen, shows you the instrument, then does it. If you would rather not know the details, say so.

Numbing before treatment

Before treatment that could hurt, the area is numbed with a local anaesthetic. Most people feel pressure or vibration, not sharp pain. If you feel pain, use your stop signal. The dentist will stop and can give more numbing.

If you are afraid of the injection itself, tell the dentist. A numbing gel can be put on the gum first, and the dentist can go slowly.

Breaks and shorter visits

• Ask for a break whenever you need one.
• Ask whether a long treatment can be split into shorter visits.
• Simple, quick treatments first can help you build up to bigger ones.

Ways to stay calm

• Slow breathing: breathe in for a count of four, out for a count of six.
• Music or a podcast on your own headphones, if the dentist agrees.
• A short walk before your appointment.

What about sedation?

Sedation is a medicine that helps you feel very relaxed during treatment. NHS England’s guidance places it as one part of a wider plan, with talking and step-by-step methods tried first. Where sedation is used, it needs a health check beforehand and a signed consent form, and you need someone to take you home.

Please ask us about sedation when you book. We will tell you honestly what is possible for you.

If you have stayed away for a long time

You are welcome. Many people come back after years away. At your first visit we will look, explain what we find in plain words, and talk through your options and their costs before anything is done. Nothing happens without your agreement, and you can say no.

Read what happens at a first visit to know what to expect, step by step. You can also see how we keep instruments clean and safe.