Visiting the dentist is a necessity for maintaining good oral health, but for many people, it can be an anxiety-inducing experience. Dental anxiety is all too common and can affect people of all ages. It can cause fear, stress and even an avoidance of visiting the dentist completely. Fortunately, dentistry has evolved over the years and with TLC we are now able to help most patients overcome their dental anxiety to enable them to achieve the best oral health they can. Please remember, you are not the first patient, nor will you be the last, to feel this way about paying us a visit. We are used to helping people who like you, are nervous about coming to see us and we want to help you.
Understanding Dental Anxiety.
Dental anxiety is not uncommon. The sights, sounds, and sensations associated with dental procedures can trigger fear and discomfort in patients. Often patients will recount negative past experiences to us, or they are worried that a procedure is going to be painful. We believe that no dentistry should be painful. With modern local anaesthetic techniques, there should be no reason that you should experience pain at your appointments.
Often the anticipation of the unknown contributes to dental anxiety and sometimes even embarrassment. Please be comforted by the fact that there is never a need to feel embarrassed or ashamed. We are experienced in our field and making that first step to pay us a visit is often the hardest part. Once we have met you, help starts here! Unfortunately, dental anxiety often is so severe that it can lead individuals to avoid dental care altogether, putting their oral health at risk. Not just that though, living with the fear of the unknown and the ongoing anxiety of knowing that the need to visit the dentist eventually will arise, is often worse and unnecessary if you can make that initial contact.
Building Trust and Communication.
Patient wellbeing is always at the centre of our approach and we focus on creating a comfortable and friendly environment where patients can build trust in our team. We feel that ensuring open communication and understanding throughout treatment and treatment planning is key to helping people to gain confidence in their treatment.
At Wollaton Dental Care we do not offer sedation. In most cases, taking time to build a relationship with our patients is sufficient to enable them to go ahead with treatment that is needed. In a small number of cases, sedation is still required and if this is the case, we can liaise with local providers of sedation to enable you to receive the treatment you need.
Overcoming dental anxiety is possible with a considered and compassionate approach. Don’t let dental anxiety prevent you from achieving optimal oral health. We are here to help you and we want to help you! Seek out a dentist or dental therapist who takes the time to understand your fears and can provide the care and support you need to ensure you feel comfortable and confident in attending the dentist.
Embracing the Great Outdoors: Unleashing the Power of the Team!
In today’s fast-paced world, it is great to be able to switch off, to be able to go off grid and to leave the constant sensory overload for even a few hours. To be able to do this as a team is even better. This weekend we hope to achieve this through our next outdoor team event. These occurrences outside of the workplace give the opportunity to take a break from the practice but also offer unique opportunities for personal and professional growth and friendships.
We hope that getting away as a team, creates an environment that encourages open communication and collaboration among team members. It’s quite a unique thing to go away on a mini break with your teammates and away from the confines of the surgery, individuals can interact in a more relaxed and informal way. Our latest event involves a challenging hike up Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak. Our team must trust and rely on one another, developing and building on their already good working relationships but also hopefully enjoy it together and create some shared memories and experiences.
We have decided to raise money for a local charity alongside our team event and participating in fundraising really fosters a sense of pride in us all. Even those who may not be able to take part in the physical part of the event have had the opportunity to help with the fund raising and raising the awareness and profile of the charity (Our Dementia Choir). Shared experiences outside of ‘work’ are a real leveller and give people a joint goal. The sense of achievement and pleasure from helping others creates a stronger sense of unity between us and we also hope that our patients are also proud to attend our practice and be part of Team WDC (and hopefully will promote their dental practice’s charity endeavours). Strengthened team spirit and improved morale, positively impact our practice and create a buzz in the building. It hopefully adds to our team’s job satisfaction, leading to a more positive work environment overall.
Go Team WDC!
Most people realise the importance of brushing their teeth but often don’t understand the impact poor oral health can have on general health.
There are many links between oral health and systemic diseases. Taking care of your oral hygiene impacts more than just your teeth. It can influence your overall well-being.
Periodontitis (known commonly as gum disease) is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the supporting structures of the teeth. It affects your gums, the bone around the teeth and the connective tissues. Left untreated, the chronic state of infection and inflammation is not good for you and can trigger an inflammatory and immune response throughout the body. It potentially can contribute to the development or worsening of systemic diseases. I like to explain to my patients that if their forearm was chronically sore and bleeding, red and inflamed, they would want to do something about it and would realise that in the long term it should not be left untreated as it would impact their overall health. Your gums have a similar surface area, so you can well imagine the long-term effect of chronic inflammation of your gums on your overall health. Reducing inflammation is vitally important and good daily cleaning between your teeth plays a huge role as well as other risk factors for the disease.
Cardiovascular Health: There is a correlation between periodontitis and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke. The inflammation caused by gum disease may contribute to the formation of arterial plaques and narrowing of blood vessels.
Diabetes: Individuals with diabetes are more susceptible to infections, including periodontitis. The presence of gum disease can also make it more challenging to control blood sugar levels particularly so with type II diabetics. The relationship between diabetes and periodontitis is bidirectional, with each condition having the potential to affect the other. The links between type II diabetes and periodontitis are clear and have been undisputed for some time now, yet patients with type II diabetes are not always well informed of this connection. If you are newly diagnosed as a type II diabetic, it is well worth a trip to your dentist, hygienist or dental therapist to have your gum health checked out. Conversely, if you are having problems with gum disease, it is also worth double checking your diabetic status.
Connections have also been made with periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease as well as gum disease and pregnancy complications. More research is needed around these conditions.
The link between periodontitis and systemic disease demonstrates the importance of looking after your oral health. Regular dental examinations and good oral hygiene regimes are vital to your overall well-being.
Having a healthy mouth is an integral part of your body’s health. We need to prioritise our oral hygiene and form good habits, in the same way that we need to prioritise a healthy diet and exercise regime. By doing this we have the potential to further reduce our risk of some systemic diseases and live a healthier lifestyle.
If you are due (or overdue!) an oral health examination, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the practice for a check-up with one of our dentists or dental therapists. We are here to help.