Dentist for anxious patients in Lucerne

Dental anxiety

A visit to the dentist can be an unsettling and daunting experience for even the bravest of people. At our dental practice, we understand that fear of the dentist can have many causes. That's why we take many steps to ensure that we are as reassuring, gentle and pain-free as possible!

In one study (18,000 people surveyed worldwide) 61% of respondents said they suffered from dental anxiety. Often, patients' anxiety manifests itself in avoidance of visiting the dentist, which can lead to extreme complications in dental health, oral hygiene or a poor quality of life.

Our dentists have been selected not only for their excellent clinical skills, but also for their chairside manner. Clear, open and reassuring communication is the first step in dealing with anxiety. Any procedure can be explained in as much or as little detail as you wish, but we have found that much of dental anxiety is based on fear of the unknown.

We have designed our practice to be as welcoming and reassuring as possible, with plenty of natural light and all the comforts for patients.

Our staff are trained to be empathetic and efficient, so you can be confident that they will be a friend during your visits.

Help for anxious patients

How we help you deal with your dental anxiety

To avoid negative experiences for patients and ensure quality treatment, it is crucial for our dentists and all team members to understand and practice effective methods to help patients with dental anxiety overcome their fears. Our goal is to alleviate anxiety in such a way that patients are satisfied and well cared for in the short term, but are also positively motivated to continue to attend dental visits in the long term.

Care and communication

For patients with dental anxiety, empathy and understanding are of great importance. We take the time to listen to patients when they express their fears and concerns, so they can feel welcome and ultimately relaxed.

An effective method for this is the tell-show-do technique. The "tell" part of the technique includes verbal explanations of the entire procedure as well as the associated steps during the procedure. The "show" part includes the demonstration of the visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile aspects of the procedure for the patient. The "do" part consists of the implementation of the dental procedure – without deviating from the roadmap set out in "tell" and "show".

Control and distraction

We have found that it is beneficial to allow patients with dental anxiety to take control of the entire appointment, including the specific dental procedure. For example, our patients can decide for themselves when we start working – there's a difference between "let us know when you're ready" and "open your mouth."

We also encourage our anxious patients to say when they need a break – simple but clear hand signals for "stop" and "continue" allow anxious patients to control the pace of the appointment.

Practice setting

The ambience in our office plays an important role in reducing dental anxiety. We have made sure that you can feel comfortable from the waiting room to the treatment chair. Our quiet and welcoming practice environment helps our patients to relax.

Nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, can contribute to relaxation during dental treatment. You will be given a mask and inhale a mixture of oxygen and nitrous oxide. The effect occurs within a few minutes and disappears quickly.

You will feel relaxed but are still awake. You can talk to the dentist and hear what they are saying to you. When the visit is over, however, you will not necessarily remember everything.

Most people find the relaxed feeling caused by nitrous oxide sedation very pleasant. Occasionally people do not like this feeling, and in these cases, other options may be considered.

Find out more

General anesthetic

Treatment under general anesthesia is performed by the dentist and an anesthesiologist. During general anesthesia, patients are "fully asleep". Possible side effects include nausea and a longer recovery time than with other forms of sedation.

They must be presented to the dentist before treatment, and may also require a post-operative visit. The anesthesiologist must examine you before general anesthesia. After general anesthesia, you will not be able to drive yourself home.

Some dental treatments are better performed in several sessions. This means that your treatment options may be limited if you want to have your entire dental treatment performed under general anesthesia.

In some cases, it may be helpful to perform some treatments before general anesthesia in a separate appointment on the treatment chair in order to prepare the mouth for treatment and thus make optimal use of the general anesthesia.

General anesthesia works best when used in conjunction with other strategies, so some treatments can be carried out even without general anesthesia. In this way, the time for the general anesthesia session is used for the treatments that are most difficult to cope with.