Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Latest Edition - Flipbook - Page 12
Tools to Support
Anxious Patients
1. Building Trust and
Empowerment
For 昀椀rst-琀椀me or nervous
pa琀椀ents, the ini琀椀al visit may
focus solely on building
rapport. Den琀椀sts take 琀椀me to
understand past experiences
and treatment goals. Once trust
is established, pa琀椀ents are more
likely to return for regular care.
“Lack of control is a major fear
trigger,” explains Dr Tchia. “I let
pa琀椀ents know they can stop the
procedure at any 琀椀me by raising
their hand. This simple gesture
gives them a sense of control
and helps them feel safe.”
2. Clear Communication
Keeping pa琀椀ents informed
during the visit—from reclining
the chair to explaining the local
anaesthe琀椀c—helps prevent
unpleasant surprises. For
example, pa琀椀ents are o昀琀en
reassured they don’t need to
see the needle and can close
their eyes while the anaesthe琀椀c
is administered.
3. Guided Relaxation and
Hypnosis Techniques
Den琀椀sts may
use guided
breathing exercises or
visualisa琀椀on techniques to
help pa琀椀ents enter a relaxed
state. Using a calm tone,
den琀椀sts encourage pa琀椀ents to
picture a peaceful se琀�ng and
focus on their breathing. This
non-pharmacological approach
promotes calm while keeping
the pa琀椀ent fully conscious and
in control.
4. Comfort Aids
Stress balls, headphones,
calming music, or even
watching a ceiling-mounted
TV can help redirect a琀琀en琀椀on.
Some clinics encourage
pa琀椀ents to bring their own
comfort items like a playlist
or 昀椀dget toy. A suppor琀椀ve
touch from a dental assistant
can also help during more
uncomfortable procedures.
5. Sedation Options
In some cases,
pharmacological support is
needed. Op琀椀ons include:
Rela琀椀ve Analgesia (RA)
using nitrous oxide for mild
seda琀椀on.
• Oral anxioly琀椀cs for
minimal seda琀椀on while
remaining alert.
• Conscious IV seda琀椀on,
o昀琀en administered by a
trained anaesthe琀椀st.
• General Anaesthe琀椀c
(GA), used for pa琀椀ents
with severe anxiety, where
treatment is carried out in
a hospital se琀�ng while the
pa琀椀ent is fully unconscious.
6. Longer Appointment Times
Le琀�ng the clinic know you’re
anxious can lead to a longer,
more suppor琀椀ve appointment.
This allows the dental team to
proceed at a comfortable pace,
without rushing the process.
Crea琀椀ng a calm, pa琀椀entfocused environment helps
make dental visits less
stressful and promotes longterm oral health and wellbeing.
