Easing into Braces

Some people have an innate fear of having work done on their teeth. Sometimes it stems from a traumatic visit to a dentist as a youngster where he or she had teeth poked, prodded, and possibly even pulled. Many times, these invasions of the mouth are done to young patients without any explanation. The probe or pliers might get the job done and fix the physical problems but, in its wake, create an ongoing mental anguish over subsequent dental visits.

It’s easy to spot the nervous patient, whether they are 7 or 70. However, no matter what the age of the patient, we set them at ease by going slowly and thoroughly explaining the exam process. We emphasize that we are only looking in the mouth to assess health of the gums and position of the teeth. Once we gain their trust and they begin orthodontic treatment, we work hard to keep it by noting on their chart to explain what is to be done first and also to be extra gentle. We usually add extra time for each appointment for the nervous patient so they don’t feel unduly anxious or rushed.

We treat all our patients with kindliness and courtesy. Our goal is to have our patients looking forward to each appointment as a step towards reaching their goal of a great smile. By providing a little extra TLC, even our fearful patients can leave the office with at least a little smile on their face!