Modern dental methods make for stress-free visits, says Liskeard dentist

Fear of the dentist has once again been in the media spotlight recently and we would like to remind our patients from across Cornwall that modern dentistry methods make a patient’s visit to the dentist easy and almost completely pain free.

In the UK as a whole, more than 80 per cent of adults suffer from dental decay and 90 per cent experience a degree of gum disease at some time in their life. Regular visits to the dentist are a big factor in preventing this but very often it is dental anxiety that keeps patients away.

Around 50 per cent of our population does not visit the dentist – and a quarter of those fail to do so because they are too afraid. These statistics cause us great concern at The Smile Centre in Liskeard.

Our team is proud to have helped many dentally phobic patients overcome their dental anxiety – and even look forward to their dental appointments!

If you visit our website, you will find lots of testimonials from once nervous patients. Here is just one:

“I wouldn’t have treatment without sedation now and would thoroughly recommend it. It was absolutely brilliant. Mr Chris Smirthwaite is really good; he’s gentle, considerate, concerned and professional. I have every confidence in him. You couldn’t find a nicer dentist!” Mrs Pearce.

Our Liskeard dentists, hygiene team and dental nurses all do their utmost to make dental visits as calm and stress-free as possible. We do this in a number of ways; by being patient, understanding, unhurried, genuinely empathic and investing in technology that helps relieve anxiety.

Overcoming fear in children

Trying not to pass on our fears to our children can be tricky. Our advice is to bring your child into your appointment with you from birth. That way they will grow up understanding that the dentist isn’t a scary place. We will encourage them to sit in the ‘big chair’ and won’t ask to look inside their mouth until they are about two years old. By that time we hope they will be so comfortable in the dental environment they will race to get into the chair before you do.

If you would like to feel less anxious about your dental appointments, please contact us. The door to our Cornwall dental practice is always open to new patients and we look forward to meeting you and your family soon.