Our caring and compassionate dental team looks after you, listens to you, and helps you get comfortable in the chair.
Does the thought of going to the dentist make your palms sweaty and your heart skip a beat? You‘re not alone. Many people get anxious about dental treatments and for a variety of reasons. But there is a lot that can be done to manage even the most severe cases of anxiety.
At Better Dental, our practitioners are trained at managing dental anxiety and have a range of clinically proven techniques for making you relaxed and comfortable throughout your visit. We know that different methods work better for different people, and that is why we take it slow by first getting to know you and understanding the sources of your anxiety, whether they are known to you or are more subliminal. From this understanding, we are able to select the right management approach and gradually see if it is effective and how it needs critiquing to meet your individual requirements.
“They helped me out with my fear of needles and have done a wonderful job with my teeth. Friendly and helpful staff.”
A contributing factor to many dental anxieties is the lack of control and sense of helplessness one feels during treatment. Without the ability to speak, you cannot easily communicate any discomfort or concerns you may have to the dentist or their assistant. This can be very traumatic, especially if water is running down your throat or the tooth being treated is hypersensitive.
At Better Dental we give you back your control using a simple sign language system. Before we start any exam or treatment we will show you how the system works and get you to perform the hand signals. We have the instruments, but you will be our conductor: a quick wave of your hand and we will instantly stop, remove everything from your mouth, and sit you upright. We can then listen to you or we can have a break before continuing once you are ready and comfortable.
If you are still hesitant about the idea of going to the dentist, we completely understand. Please give us a call and we can organise an initial consultation, where we will simply discuss the specifics of your anxiety and how we can approach dental treatment such that it works best for you.
Every journey begins with a single step.
Let us help answer the most common questions you might have.
Depending on the treatment, anaesthetic may not even be needed, and we can avoid needles altogether. However, if you do need local anaesthetic, we can numb you with a cream first, so when it is time for the injection, you won't even know you had it.
We also have an anaesthetic delivery system that still numbs your mouth but looks different to a needle. And in any case, we have a variety of desensitisation methods and some rather "sneaky" distraction techniques up our sleeves that would make any magician proud.
We can teach you various relaxation techniques that are clinically proven to reduce anxiety. We also have a number of distraction techniques and other psychological tricks up our sleeves. There is a lot that can be done to make you comfortable without medication.
We work with general practitioners (medical doctors) if you need specific medication to relax, and we can offer laughing gas (nitrous oxide) for patients with mild to moderate anxiety levels.
If your anxiety is severe, we can explore stronger sedation options, where you can be put into a sleep-like state by an anaesthetist or by having a session of general anaesthetic at a hospital. This may be needed if your dental health requires urgent treatment.
Yes, absolutely! You are always in control. A quick wave of your hand and we instantly stop what we are doing and sit you upright. You can have a break at any time.
Yes, we offer treatment under laughing gas and it is covered by most private health funds.
Laughing gas is the common name given to nitrous oxide, which is a gas that is inhaled to alleviate anxiety and also has a slight anaesthetic effect. You will be given a nosepiece to wear that will deliver a mixture of the gas and oxygen through normal breathing. We will vary the concentration of the gas to your body's response and level of comfort. As soon as we stop the gas, the effect of the gas will quickly and completely wear off so you can safely drive home or back to work afterwards.
Laughing gas is a very safe and common way to manage anxiety in dental and medical procedures with typically no or very minor side effects. We encourage you to speak to our dentists to learn more about this treatment option.
Yes, we do. If you are seeing a GP or psychologist to tackle your anxiety, we are happy to work with them, as we believe that such collaborations are likely to lead to better management outcomes.
You will be surprised how relaxed we can make you feel.
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