
Tips for patients who have a fear or phobia of visiting the dentist

At Bupa Dental Care, we know that good oral hygiene contributes to better overall health and wellbeing, which is why it’s important to prioritise regular dental check-ups.
Nearly half (44%) of the UK population fear the dentist and three quarters (76%) admit to putting off going to the dentist entirely*.
Here are some tips to help you overcome your worries of visiting the dentist, provide reassurance, and empower you to feel more in control and at ease before, during, and after your appointment.
Transcript
Who are you and what do you do?
Hello, my name is Amy Polly.
I am a mindfulness teacher, an international speaker,
and a neurodiversity advocate.
Where does dental anxiety come from?
So I'm here to have the conversation with you
to support you with those feelings of anxiety.
But if you want to learn more about dental anxiety,
you can click on the link
and hear the conversation with the Bupa dental expert.
What is mindfulness?
So, mindfulness, if you look it up in the dictionary, says,
paying attention to the present moment with no judgement .
But I like to simplify it even further to say
that mindfulness simply means awareness or attention.
We all have the ability to choose where to put our attention
or our awareness, but often we don't choose where to put it.
We're very distracted.
So mindfulness is the practise of training our brain
to consciously choose where we're putting our awareness,
where we're putting our attention.
Can mindfulness help with dental anxiety?
Mindfulness can be really useful for dental anxiety.
It can be useful for any type of anxiety or nervousness.
It absolutely can help to rewire your brain, especially
for those things that might induce anxious feelings.
How can mindfulness help a nervous/anxious dental patient?
So there's lots of ways that mindfulness might help.
It could be from the point that you even need
to call the dentist all the way
to actually being in the dentist's chair.
And the reason that mindfulness can really help is
because it can help you to be aware of what you are thinking
and those thoughts that might be
impacting how you are feeling.
And then we can use some
of our mindfulness techniques like breathing and meditation
and noticing our body to take us out of that thinking,
bring us to the moment, and to alleviate some of that stress
and that anxious feeling.
Why is mindfulness helpful with anxiety?
Okay, so the reason that mindfulness can be really useful
for anxiety is this.
Think about your mind when it goes
off and wonders to the past.
Sometimes it wonders to the future,
but when we're practising mindfulness,
we're very much in the here and now.
Anxious thoughts are in the future.
They are fears that we have about
something that might happen.
That hasn't happened yet.
That's what anxiety is,
and mindfulness keeps bringing us back to the present moment
so that we're able to actually think about
what is happening right here, right now,
rather than worrying about the future.
What technique can I use if I'm nervous about calling up for an appointment?
So, there's things we can do even
before we're calling up for our dentist appointment.
And one of the things that can really help is
breathing techniques.
So we really want to be able to bring ourselves
to the moment and calm down our nervous system.
So if we elongate our out breath slightly,
that activates our parasympathetic nervous system,
which is our rest and digest.
And that can really help to calm you down
and alleviate some of that nervous or anxious feeling.
So one of the breathing techniques I like
to use is breathing in for four, hold
for four and out for six.
And do this a few times before you make the phone call.
So it brings you to the moment,
you alleviate some of those feelings.
Some of those thoughts will float away,
and then you can make the phone call.
What technique can I use if I'm nervous when I'm on the way to an appointment?
So a fantastic technique when you're on the way
to an appointment or anywhere that might be causing you
to feel a bit nervous
or anxious, is to actually notice things
that are going on around you.
So you can do this when you're driving,
when you're on the train, or when you're walking,
and actually label the things that you can see.
Label the things that you can hear, label the things
that you can smell.
By doing this, you take yourself out
of your chattering mind, bring yourself to the moment,
and shift that focus, shift that energy.
So give that a try when you're on the way
to your appointment and see how it might just calm you down
and bring you to the moment.
What technique can I use if I'm nervous when I'm in the waiting room before an appointment?
Now thinking about when we're in the waiting room
before an appointment, something
that might really help is a visualisation,
because the waiting room might not feel like a very
safe place to you.
Although you are safe and all is well.
It might be helpful to visualise somewhere
where you feel safe and you feel relaxed.
That might be somewhere that you go with friends.
It might be your home.
It might be your favourite place to have dinner.
It might be your favourite holiday destination.
It does not matter where it is,
but you can just take a few moments
to really visualise being there, visualise
what it feels like to be there,
and just allow yourself to just calm down,
feel what it feels like to relax in a place
where you feel safe, and take a few deep breaths.
What technique can I use if I'm nervous when I'm in the dentist chair?
Now we're thinking about being in the dentist chair,
and I understand what it's like to feel anxious
or nervous in certain situations.
And it might not be appropriate to focus on your breathing
because that might feel a little bit uncomfortable,
or you might not be able to do
that if somebody is examining your teeth.
So what I want you to do is to focus on your body
instead, think about what it feels like to wiggle your toes,
to feel the weight of your feet in the moment,
to really feel the weight of your body,
to relax your shoulders, and to just soften your face.
And by bringing your awareness
and your attention to your body, it just helps
to calm you down.
Take away all of that thinking
and be really present in the moment
and know that you are safe and all is well.
Do you have an example of where you have used these techniques successfully?
So I have actually used these techniques with my mum,
who does really struggle with going to the dentist.
She gets very anxious and very nervous,
and she knows all about mindfulness.
And so we used some of these techniques specifically for her
and we did that for when she had to make the phone call.
We did that on the day of the appointment,
and she even used it when she was sat in the dentist chair,
and I'm glad to say it really helped her,
and she has been back to the dentist again.
Do these techniques work on both adults and kids?
So these techniques are brilliant for adults and children.
You just have to maybe just adapt them slightly.
But one of the wonderful things about kids is they
don't really question why.
So if I think about my five-year-old,
I started teaching him breathing techniques when he was very
small and he never asked me why.
I just said to him that it would make him feel a little bit
better when he was feeling worried about something
or he had some pain, or he was agitated,
and now it comes really naturally to him.
So just think about doing it together rather than
getting them to do it on their own.
It helps you as well, and don't over explain it.
Just go in with something simple like a breathing technique,
noticing your body or imagining being somewhere
that makes you feel happy and safe.
Is there only one way to do mindfulness?
So there are lots of different ways
to practise mindfulness.
Mindfulness isn't just meditation.
Mindfulness is the umbrella term that we give to anything
where you are consciously choosing to be aware,
and you are very present with that thing that you're doing.
So it could be a breathing meditation,
it could be a body scan meditation.
It could be going running, it could be yoga,
it could be even eating your favourite meal
or brushing your teeth.
It's all about how you choose to focus on the thing
that you are doing.
What is the science behind mindfulness?
The science behind mindfulness, I love this bit.
If mindfulness is about paying attention.
If mindfulness is about choosing where we put our awareness,
we know that when we do that, our brain doesn't know
what we're paying attention to.
All our brain knows is
that we are engaging our prefrontal cortex.
So that's the rational part of our brain.
And when we're engage in the rational part of our brain
during something like a mindfulness practise
or a meditation, it then becomes easier for us to use
that part of our brain when we need it.
And that means that we can recognise when we're having
thoughts that aren't very useful to us,
that might be causing us
to have some anxiety or nervousness.
So it's all about having an awareness of
what we're doing in the moment, but also
of what our mind is doing.
And the science absolutely backs this up
because it shows mindfulness
and meditation activates different parts of your brain
and creates new connections.
How do you know if mindfulness is helping?
So when we start practising mindfulness,
often we don't notice a difference straight away.
It's just one of those things like if you were going
to the gym and you started lifting weights,
you wouldn't notice a change immediately.
But the more that you practise, the easier it becomes
and then you'll start to notice things such as noticing
that you are thinking when you are thinking,
which is a really powerful tool when it comes
to managing our anxiety.
Actually having the ability to be aware of your thoughts
as you are having them means
that you can change your thoughts as you are having them.
Being aware and understanding your fear is an essential first step and will help you to manage your thoughts. Consider whether your fear is actually of the dentist, or whether it’s from another phobia or fear, such as needles. This will help you to rationalise the experience.
Consider the origin of your dental phobia to understand how it occurred. Dental fear often stems from childhood experiences, such as a personal traumatic event, watching a scary film, or being told a dramatic story by a sibling or childhood friend. This will help you to understand and dismantle the fear and how to overcome it.
Challenge the origin of your dental phobia to break down the fear and remind yourself that:
If you've had a negative experience in the past, let the dental practice know. Many dentists are well versed in treating patients with dental anxiety and can offer tailored care to help you feel more comfortable. They can spend time to walk you through your check-up and what to expect. You can also agree on a signal to use if you need them to stop, such as raising your hand, so that you feel in control.
Ask to visit your dental practice before your appointment to get used to the environment. This can help reassure any concerns you might have had as you will likely find the atmosphere to be more welcoming and comfortable than expected.
Before your visit, imagine yourself sitting calmly in the dentist's chair and practice breathing deeply. Repeat this visualization often, as it can help you gain confidence. Deep breaths release calming alpha waves, similar to those experienced during mindfulness and meditation. They can also act as a psychological reset for the brain. We naturally sigh when something is over, so this tricks our brain into thinking that the task or problem is over before it even starts, which gives a psychological advantage.
Think about happy memories and your best achievements. Immerse yourself in those positive feelings while gently pinching either side of your thumb nail with the thumb and index finger of your opposite hand. Practice this technique in advance and combine it with controlled breathing for added comfort during your appointment.
Support for nervous patients
We have plenty of guidance and support for nervous patients, including mindfulness techniques and advice on sedation.
See more about dental anxiety.
*Research conducted by Censuswide among 2,000 adults in the UK. The data was collected between 15th May 2024 and 18th May 2024.