Nervous Patients, Broughty Ferry
Frightened of the Dentist?
For anyone who dreads the dentist, a first appointment at our Brook Street practice can simply be a conversation: no treatment, no pressure. From then on the pace is yours. Each step is explained before it happens, we stop as soon as you signal, and IV sedation is there for treatment if you need extra help.Your first appointment can be a chat and nothing more. You decide the pace, you can stop us whenever you like, and IV sedation is available for treatment.
If picking up the phone feels like too much, a WhatsApp message works just as well. Tell us as little or as much as you want.
How We Look After Anxious Patients
A few simple routines, followed every single time, so you always know what's next and never feel trapped.
Meet Us Away From the Chair
Your first visit can take place sitting up, just talking. You explain what scares you and what you'd like sorted, and nothing further happens unless you ask for it.
Told Before, Not During
We describe each step ahead of time: what it will feel like, whether there's any noise, and roughly how long it takes. Nothing unexpected, and no instrument appears without warning.
A Stop Signal We Honour
We agree a sign before starting, usually a raised hand. The moment you use it, we stop. Not after finishing the current bit, and without ever asking you to bear with us.
Planned Pauses
During longer treatment we break at fixed points so your mouth can close, you can sit up, sip some water or simply breathe. Extra pauses are yours for the asking.
Gentle, Slow Numbing
Numbing gel goes on the gum first, so the skin is numb before the needle. The anaesthetic is then given slowly, which is the secret to a comfortable injection, and we test it has taken before we begin.
IV Sedation When You Need It
For fillings, extractions or implant surgery, IV sedation keeps you deeply calm throughout. It costs £500 per session, and a responsible adult must take you home.
Your First Visit, One Step at a Time
After any of these steps you're free to stop and head home. Plenty of people do exactly that, then return when it feels right.
A Call or a Message
Let us know it's been a long time, or that you're frightened. A relative or friend can contact us on your behalf. It goes on your record, so you needn't explain it all again when you arrive.
Just a Conversation
We introduce ourselves and ask about past experiences and what troubles you most. Coat on, feet on the floor, if that's how you'd like it. If you want, that is the entire visit.
A Gentle Look, Only with Your Say-So
Once you're ready, a careful look using a small mirror. We describe what we find in everyday language, with no lecture and no catalogue of problems.
A Plan at Your Pace
Together we decide what comes first (normally anything that hurts), how long each appointment should last and whether sedation makes sense. Every fee is put in writing before anything begins.
Things That Help
Been Away a Long Time?
People arrive here after ten, even twenty years without a dentist. It happens far more often than you'd imagine, and nobody here will make you feel ashamed of it.
Neglected teeth are generally far more repairable than people expect. Anything painful gets dealt with first, and the rest follows at whatever speed suits you.
Self-conscious about your teeth? We look at every sort of mouth, all day long. What interests us is making you comfortable, not how things got this way.
The Six Worries We Hear Most
Spot yourself in this list? Say so when you book and we'll build the visit around it.
Needles
Gel on the gum first, the finest needle, and the anaesthetic delivered slowly. A slight pinch is the most people notice. Some small fillings don't need an injection at all.
The Drill
That whine is what most people can't stand. Headphones take the edge off, and we warn you every time it's about to start or stop, so you're never startled.
Pain
We check you're numb before touching anything. If you feel the slightest sharpness, raise your hand: we stop, top up the anaesthetic and wait. Being properly numb is something you're entitled to.
Feeling Helpless
Lying flat with someone leaning over you is difficult for lots of people. Sit up whenever you need, and remember the stop signal keeps you in charge.
A Telling-Off
It won't happen. Whatever we find, you'll hear about it plainly, together with what can be done, never a lecture on how it came about.
Money
No one wants a shock at reception. Your plan arrives in writing with every fee itemised before treatment starts, and you decide what goes ahead.
For Severe Anxiety: IV Sedation
A fine cannula, placed in your arm or the back of your hand, carries the sedative. You remain awake and able to respond, yet deeply relaxed; an hour seems to pass in minutes, and most people's memory of the treatment is vague at best. It's not a general anaesthetic, and we still numb the tooth as normal.
We go through your medical history beforehand, since sedation isn't suitable for everyone. You'll need a responsible adult to take you home and stay with you for the rest of the day. For 24 hours afterwards there's no driving, no alcohol and no signing anything important. We use sedation for treatment rather than for routine examinations.
More about IV sedation| New patient examination, including X-rays | £70 |
| IV sedation, each session | £500 |
| Every extra 30 minutes | £250 |
| Hygiene appointment, 30 minutes | £70 |
Fees for treatment are on our price list and set out in your written plan. 1
Common Questions
Taking the first step, panic and sedation.
Guides for Nervous Patients
Frightened of the dentist? What actually makes a difference
Returning to the dentist after a long absence
Dental treatment under IV sedation: a plain guide
Dental emergencies: what to do first, and how to be seen
Getting in Touch Is the Hardest Step
Two lines will do: what you're worried about, and how long it's been. We'll come back with a gentle first step, which can be nothing more than a chat.