09 February 2026 · Dr Tashfeen Jamil
Nervous about the dentist? Read this first
What we do differently for anxious patients — and what you can do too.
Dental anxiety is common, and it's taken seriously here — not brushed aside. Tell your dentist up front if you're nervous, and what specifically worries you.
Longer appointments mean less rushing and more time to pause, ask questions, or stop altogether if you need to. A simple hand signal agreed in advance gives you control over the appointment.
Clear, plain-English explanations of what's happening and why — before it happens — remove a lot of the fear of the unknown.
If you've avoided the dentist for years because of anxiety, that's exactly the situation worth booking a conversation-only consultation for, before any treatment is even discussed.