Nervous Patients
At OMFSPK, we understand that a trip to the dentist can cause a level of anxiety in most people. If you feel nervous about any aspects of your visit, be assured that your OMFSPK team is trained to help to make your visit as pleasant as possible.
Some people experience high levels of anxiety when attending a Dentist. Often described as dental phobia, this is a valid condition and can be treated with a slightly modified approach to the provision of dental care.
Nervous Patient Consultation
Dr Aengus Kelly has designed a treatment program specifically tailored for highly anxious dental patients. The first step is to attend for a consultation with Dr Kelly, where you will be welcomed into a safe and relaxed environment. Difficult experiences of the past will be acknowledged but not judged.
An assessment will be made of the specific issues preventing treatment and the appropriate treatment required. An agreement is reached as to what supports may be necessary to enable the dental treatment. Each patient is unique, but supports include the following:
Accupuncture
In this instance, accupuncture is used to treat anxiety reactions and for many patients can replace the need for anxiolytic drugs
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)
A collection of communication tools that can be used to improve the way people interact and understand one another, to narrow in on the specifics of dental anxiety and to alter perceptions of dental treatment.
Anxiolytic Drugs
While it is preferable not to rely on any form of sedation in the long term, many patients do benefit from the short-term use of anxiolytic drugs (eg: valium) to get them over the threshold of initial visits.
After the consultation and assessment has been completed, a treatment plan is presented, outlining the types of treatment needed, the supports that will be used and a detailing of the costs associated with the treatment.
The cost of this consultation is €100, available at OMFSPK Dundrum.
Please contact your local OMFSPK clinic with any concerns ahead of your appointment and we will do our best to put your mind at ease in preparation for your visit.