Watch our VideoNervous Patients
We have built our reputation on our ability to put nervous patients at their ease.
We understand that visits to the dentist can be nerve wracking and we have many ways of helping you gradually build your confidence.
You are welcome to book a time to come in, free of charge, and meet us informally before you have a check-up if you wish. The whole dental care team is sympathetic to your anxiety, and we will listen carefully to your concerns and take everything entirely at your pace so that you can eventually look forward to your visits (yes, really!).
Remember, our reputation depends on living up to our promises. We have taken hundreds of new patients from terrified to confident attenders. We would love to do the same for you.
Nervous Patients FAQs
- Will it hurt?
Patients are often frightened that on their visit to the dentist they will have to sit through uncomfortable or downright painful treatment, especially if they have suffered from bad experiences at the dentist in the past. We promise this will not happen when you visit us. We use excellent anaesthetics and gentle techniques and we believe we have failed if you are not completely comfortable at all times. The most frequent comment people make at the end of their treatment appointment is “if I had known it was that painless I wouldn’t have worried about coming”.
- I hate not being in control
At nothing but the tooth, you are in control. We will never start treatment, even a check up, without your being ready. We will agree a signal you can give us, such as a raised hand, if you need us to stop what we are doing at any time. If you decide part way through an appointment that you have had enough for today, we will stop treatment. You can have absolute faith that you are in complete control of what is happening at all times.
- Can’t you just knock me out?
Having treatment under sedation or General Anaesthetic is not a cure for dental phobia. The next time you need treatment you will be just as scared as you are now.
We prefer to work with you at your own pace to help you overcome your fears for good with a combination of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Neurolinguistic Programming type techniques which gradually desensitise you to the anxiety of a dental appointment.
If you are one of the few patients who feel they are not progressing with this, we can provide tablets to help just before your appointment, or we can arrange for you to receive any urgent care under sedation.
- I am scared of needles
Lots of people have the same phobia, so you are not alone. We always try to use materials and techniques that do not need an injection if you are frightened of needles. If we feel that it is advisable that your teeth are numb before treatment, we will explain this to you. We can use a special gel to numb your gum first if you would like, and then our local anaesthetic injections are given so gently that many people do not even feel them. We ask our patients to score the injections on a 0 – 10 scale, where 0 is no pain at all and 10 is agony. Very nearly all our patients give a score of 0 or 1. Our highest ever score (once!) was 3.
- I am frightened of the dentist’s drill
Again, this is a common worry.
If your anxiety is based on a worry that the drilling will hurt, we would refer you back to our pain free promise. You will not have to sit through any painful treatment here. Ever.
If you don’t like the noise, you are welcome to bring your iPod or MP3 player, or a CD to play.
If you dislike the sensation of drilling, we can do shorter treatments, or give you frequent “breathers”. There are even some ways of filling teeth such as the Aquacut air abrasion unit which will remove decay painlessly without any drilling at all.
- I am embarrassed about how bad my teeth are
The team at nothing but the tooth are all experienced dental professionals, and I can promise you that we see patients with high treatment requirements all the time. It takes a lot of courage to come for treatment if you are nervous, especially when you know you need a lot of work. We applaud that, and we thank you for choosing us to help you on your way towards a healthy mouth and that amazing smile you are going to be sporting soon.
Nervous Patients Testimonials
Thanks to you all at Nothing But The Tooth, after many years of not going to the dentist due to a phobia I found Dr Celia Buns and her great team and I haven’t looked back since.
- C R Deeley
Thanks to you all at Nothing But The Tooth, after many years of not going to the dentist due to a phobia I found Dr Celia Buns and her great team and I haven’t looked back since. I am confident and relaxed when having treatment and I wish I had found them a long time ago. I would recommend them to anyone. Thanks Celia and Amy and all the nurses and team
I no longer have sleepless nights at the thought of my next appointment. My dental phobia used to control me but now thanks to Celia I have total control over my phobia and my life is back to normal.
- C Harrison
As a phobic patient, I found it difficult to accept the recommendation of friends, relatives or colleagues as they had not suffered from my condition and therefore could not understand my requirements. I needed someone who could empathise with my phobia, allow me to talk through my fears and help me to understand that I was not unique. Just a chat with the dentist, without even sitting in the chair, may be all that happens on a first visit, but as Chairman Mao once said, the longest journey begins with a single step.
For anyone who is ready to take that first step, I would happily recommend that they give Nothing but the Tooth a try. As soon as you walk through the door you will find yourself in a very welcoming environment with comfortable seating, current newspapers, and a relaxing ambiance. You will be greeted and offered a drink while you are waiting.
Celia Burns (or the boss lady, as I like to think of her) is the dentist who takes care of me. She is very professional and almost without having to be told she seems able to judge a patient’s level of anxiety and adjust her approach. Over time she has manged to build up my trust to such an extent that she has been able to complete my course of treatment and I now only need regular check ups. My anxiety levels have reduced considerably. I no longer have sleepless nights at the thought of my next appointment. My dental phobia used to control me but now thanks to Celia I have total control over my phobia and my life is back to normal.
Amy is one of the practice hygiene therapists, and she has been tasked with looking after the health of my gums. In a very gentle and caring way Amy has battled hard to greatly improve my oral hygiene. In addition to actual treatment, she is excellent at educating her patients in all aspects of oral hygiene, from brushing their teeth to using interdental brushes and so on. I am visiting Amy every three months, but as with Celia, my fear has gone, and while I may not look forward to the visit I certainly no longer dread it.
I have been so well looked after that when I moved away from Birmingham to Manchester a couple of years ago I stayed with them and now make the four hour round trip for appointments. They are in my opinion exceptional, and I would urge any nervous patient to at least give them a try.
After 60 years of genuine phobia about dental treatment with other dentists, I cannot believe that I now actually look forward to visiting the dentist!
- C R Ixer
After 60 years of genuine phobia about dental treatment with other dentists, I cannot believe that I now actually look forward to visiting the dentist! At first, I found it hard to believe their promise never to hurt you, but the truth is they never do.
On one of my visits, I had a tooth that had broken off inside the gum. I had visions of a long drawn out treatment. In fact, once my gum was frozen, Celia removed the tooth without any pain or trouble in about three minutes! Her skill always amazes me.
My pet hate though was always from childhood having my teeth scaled, but Amy has managed to make even that trouble free for me.
I now look on the whole team at NBTT as a group of friends who just happen to be my dentists. Their warmth and welcome is second to none and equal to their abilities as dentists. We always end up laughing about something. Celia and I have even been known to sing a rousing duet from Les Miserables when I was in the middle of a treatment.
The days when I or my hubby lay awake the night before a visit to the dentist are well and truly over. If you genuinely believe that going for a treatment cannot be painless or pleasant, try NBTT – you’ll be in for a BIG surprise!
