Wands and MP3 players': some of the ways of overcoming fear of the dentist
According to the British Dental Association, one in four Brits experiences some level of anxiety about sitting in the dentist's chair. For 12 per cent of us this anxiety reaches acute levels and can be classed as 'dentophobia'.
London orthodontist Ethicare recognises that many patients have profound worries regarding undergoing dental treatment. They run a nervous patient program which offers special help to those who find a journey to the dentist a severe ordeal.
<b>Needles and syringes</b>
Dr Paul Blenkiron, a consultant psychologist in York , believes that many dentophobics' fears are related to the use of needles and syringes in dental surgeries.
These instruments are used to administer vital anaesthetic injections to numb patients before dental surgery is undertaken.
Dr Blenkiron's methods are certainly direct. He told the BBC: "Firstly, I get the patient to practice handling needles, then press a needle against their arm and finally, when anxiety has reduced, I carry out an injection."
London dentist Dr Jennifer Pinder has been treating dental phobic patients for over three decades. Dr Pinder invites patients to share their fears with her by email before they even set foot in the dentists' waiting room.
<b>Counselling and MP3 players</b>
She also offers counselling, hypnotherapy and suggests patients bring in MP3 players to listen to during procedures and check-ups as a distraction technique.
Like Dr Blenkiron, she has found that fear of needles can often be at the root of patients' anxieties.
<b>The Wand</b>
This is why she makes full use of a new instrument called The Wand to attempt to make some of her patients' needle-related stress vanish.
The Wand's makers claim that most of the discomfort associated with needles and syringes, come not from issues such as bluntness or design, but from the fact that these instruments can deliver the anaesthetic too quickly.
<b>Clumsiness</b>
Inevitably, some dentists can also apply the injections, unintentionally, with a little too much force or clumsiness.
Computer hardware attached to The Wand attempts to solve this problem by controlling the flow of the anaesthetic.
Ease of use means that dentists shouldn't struggle to administer injections with The Wand in their hand and so are less likely to spook the people under their care. Reassuringly, for nervous patients it also looks more like a pen than a syringe.
Dentophobics who benefit from The Wand could find their quality of living dramatically improves. Dr Pinder told the BBC that in many cases "dentophobes stop going out, stop seeing friends and even start to keep away from their partners if they have poor dental hygiene".
<b>New hope</b>
It is these people who stand to benefit the most from innovations such as counselling, hypnotherapy, nervous patient programs London orthodontist Ethicare</a>) and The Wand.
And with developing technology, such as the new device which drowns out the sound of dentists' drills, there is now constant new hope for people with this age-old phobia.
London orthodontist Ethicare recognises that many patients have profound worries regarding undergoing dental treatment. They run a nervous patient program which offers special help to those who find a journey to the dentist a severe ordeal.
<b>Needles and syringes</b>
Dr Paul Blenkiron, a consultant psychologist in York , believes that many dentophobics' fears are related to the use of needles and syringes in dental surgeries.
These instruments are used to administer vital anaesthetic injections to numb patients before dental surgery is undertaken.
Dr Blenkiron's methods are certainly direct. He told the BBC: "Firstly, I get the patient to practice handling needles, then press a needle against their arm and finally, when anxiety has reduced, I carry out an injection."
London dentist Dr Jennifer Pinder has been treating dental phobic patients for over three decades. Dr Pinder invites patients to share their fears with her by email before they even set foot in the dentists' waiting room.
<b>Counselling and MP3 players</b>
She also offers counselling, hypnotherapy and suggests patients bring in MP3 players to listen to during procedures and check-ups as a distraction technique.
Like Dr Blenkiron, she has found that fear of needles can often be at the root of patients' anxieties.
<b>The Wand</b>
This is why she makes full use of a new instrument called The Wand to attempt to make some of her patients' needle-related stress vanish.
The Wand's makers claim that most of the discomfort associated with needles and syringes, come not from issues such as bluntness or design, but from the fact that these instruments can deliver the anaesthetic too quickly.
<b>Clumsiness</b>
Inevitably, some dentists can also apply the injections, unintentionally, with a little too much force or clumsiness.
Computer hardware attached to The Wand attempts to solve this problem by controlling the flow of the anaesthetic.
Ease of use means that dentists shouldn't struggle to administer injections with The Wand in their hand and so are less likely to spook the people under their care. Reassuringly, for nervous patients it also looks more like a pen than a syringe.
Dentophobics who benefit from The Wand could find their quality of living dramatically improves. Dr Pinder told the BBC that in many cases "dentophobes stop going out, stop seeing friends and even start to keep away from their partners if they have poor dental hygiene".
<b>New hope</b>
It is these people who stand to benefit the most from innovations such as counselling, hypnotherapy, nervous patient programs London orthodontist Ethicare</a>) and The Wand.
And with developing technology, such as the new device which drowns out the sound of dentists' drills, there is now constant new hope for people with this age-old phobia.
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