Most people who are nervous about the dentist never say so. They sit very still, grip the armrests and wait for it to be over. Here are five sentences that change the whole visit, and what we do when you say each one.
In this article
Sentence 1
This is the one we hear least and like most. It turns every step into a sentence before it happens: "I am going to numb the tooth now. You will feel a pinch, then nothing." Most fear is the gap between not knowing and finding out. Close the gap and the fear has nowhere to sit.
Sentence 2
You do not need a reason. Raise a hand, say it, or both. We stop, sit you up if you want, and start again when you nod. Our stop signal is agreed before we begin, so you never have to wonder whether we saw it.
The fear is not of the drill. It is of not being able to make it stop.
Sentence 3
Every room has a ceiling screen, and plenty of people love it. If you are not one of them, say so and it stays off. You can still ask to see something afterwards.
Room one. The screen above the chair can be switched off at any time.
Sentence 4
Ask it before anything starts and you will get a number, written down. Not knowing the price is a fear of its own, and it is the easiest one for us to remove.
Sentence 5
Yes. A treatment split over two visits is nearly always possible, and it does not cost more. The plan changes; the fee does not.
Try it
Write one of these sentences in the notes box when you book, and we will have read it before you sit down.
