Nervous patients: if you've been putting it off
The longest gap we've heard was nineteen years. Nobody said a word about it then either.
Nobody here is going to lecture you
People stay away for years and then apologise for it at the door. You do not have to.
We are not going to ask why you left it. We are not going to tell you what it would have cost to come sooner. Both of those are obvious to you already and neither helps with what is in front of us now.
What actually happens is this: we look, we tell you what we find in plain words, and we work out what to do about it in an order that suits you. Quite often it is less than people have spent years imagining.
Things you can do without sitting in the chair
- Come in and look at the room. Ring first and we'll pick a quiet time.
- Talk to somebody at the desk without an appointment.
- Meet the dentist who would treat you, with your coat still on.
- Bring somebody with you, into the room, for the whole thing.
- Book a check-up and cancel it twice before you come. It happens; we don't mind.
The stop signal
Before we start anything, we agree that you raise your hand and we stop.
Not "finish this bit and then stop". Stop — instruments out, chair up, and you sit for as long as you need. It is agreed in advance so you do not have to interrupt to ask for it, and it is not a negotiation once you have used it.
Most people use it once, discover that it works, and never need it again. Knowing it is there is most of what it does.
What we offer nervous patients
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Longer appointments
Booked at double the usual length, so nothing is rushed and there is time to stop.
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First slot of the day
No waiting room, no sitting listening to the drill next door, no time to talk yourself out of it.
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Headphones
Bring your own or use ours. Most of what people find unbearable is the noise.
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A plan in stages
If there is a lot to do, we do it over several short visits rather than one long one, and you decide the order.
Sedation — what we don't do
We do not sedate patients at Larchfield. It is worth saying plainly rather than leaving you to find out at the appointment.
What we have instead is time, and the stop signal, and local anaesthetic used properly — which for most people turns out to be enough once they have been through it once. If it genuinely is not enough for you, that is not a failure and we will refer you to somebody who provides sedation rather than talk you into managing without it.
Questions
What if I need to stop halfway through?
Raise your hand and we stop. Not "finish this bit and then stop" — stop. It is agreed before we start and it is not a negotiation.
Will it hurt?
A check-up does not hurt. Treatment is done with local anaesthetic, and if you can feel anything sharp you tell us and we give you more. The commonest reason people feel something is that they did not want to make a fuss.
Can I bring somebody with me?
Yes, into the room and for the whole appointment if you want.
Does saying I am nervous cost extra?
No. It changes how long we book and who you see, not the price.
Or ring Gemma Watson on 028 9649 6320 and ask. Saying "I'm nervous" on the phone is the whole of what you need to say — she will do the rest.
Ring and say you're nervous.
It changes the booking, not the price — a longer slot, earlier in the day, with somebody who knows before you walk in.