We can help if you are a nervous patient or have dentophobia

Many people have misgivings about going to the dentist. These visits are particularly traumatic for patients with an extreme fear of the dentist or a strong gag reflex. We understand this anxiety only too well and do everything possible to ensure your visit and treatment is as pleasant as possible with everything clearly explained.

We are well aware that the first big hurdle is booking the initial examination appointment. Entering the practice, nervous patients also find it problematic to see dental equipment or experience that typical “dentist smell”. But there is a way out of this vicious circle of fear – let us help!

Dentophobia: empathetic care in Munich

Our trained and specialised dental practice team at the Dr. Kolling Dental Practice in Munich provides dedicated support to help you with your dentophobia. We will be sensitive to your concerns and anxiety and be understanding. From our very first conversation with you we will do our utmost to consider your worries, concerns and anxiety, as we aim to restore your dental well-being and alleviate your anxiety little by little. Pain-free treatment in a respectful atmosphere is important to us. Together, we will find the best and gentlest solution for you!

Where does dentophobia come from?

There are many causes of dentophobia and it can occur at various stages of life. Traumatic experiences at the dentist’s during childhood are often responsible for dental phobia. People who experienced pain in the dentist’s chair as children can develop pronounced anxiety symptoms. This is by no means rare: About ten million people in Germany are afraid of dental treatments and of the feeling of sitting in the dentist’s chair.

And it isn’t only traumatic experiences that can cause a fear of dentists. Avoiding regular check-up appointments and being worried that there is something wrong with your teeth can also cause a certain psychological barrier.

Some nervous patients manage to overcome it alone, but for others it is practically impossible to visit the dentist. They suffer from palpitations, dizziness, nausea, and even circulatory collapse, and therefore avoid contact with anything that is associated with a dental practice.

Besides a fear of the dentist, many patients also experience a gag reflex which occurs as soon as they feel tools in their mouth or when their tongue is touched. An experience with less-than-sensitive dentists in such situations can further exacerbate this unease.

What are the consequences of dentophobia?

For some patients, the fear is so strong and overwhelming that they don't go to the dentist for many years. The consequences are often disastrous – daily cleaning alone is not enough to keep teeth healthy in the long term! Regular visits to the dentist and regular professional dental hygiene are essential if you wish to have pain-free, functional and good-looking teeth into your old age.

However, people with dental phobia often suffer from more than just pain. They often also feel ashamed of their damaged, broken or discoloured teeth. As a result, they aren’t able to laugh without feeling self-conscious and it’s even more difficult to go to the dentist. Please be assured that there is no need to be ashamed when you visit our practice because we want our practice to be a safe place for you with no space for anxiety, shame or prejudices.

Overcome a fear of the dentist: We will help you!

Patients with dentophobia are welcome to visit us at any time. Dr. Kolling and his team are specialists in dealing with phobic patients and have years of experience. You can expect the following procedure with us:

First appointment: We won’t keep you waiting long, and will take our time to discuss your teeth and suggest a solution. At the first appointment we will merely advise you. No treatment will take place. Along with customary dental treatment methods, we will also explain the various options available if you would prefer to be completely unaware of your treatment.

Diagnosis and treatment: At Dr. Kolling Dental Practice you will always be looked after emphatically with care that is tailored to your needs. When treating patients with a fear of the dentist, we make a point of taking a detailed medical history to understand the individual concerns and worries of each patient. As part of this we consider previous traumatic experiences as well as personal preferences and concerns.

When treating anxious patients we try to create as calming an atmosphere as possible and allow enough time to reassure patients and explain the treatment steps in detail. Anxiety is reduced by using relaxation techniques and giving patients a feeling of security.

We also use special techniques at our practice to control and minimise pain to offer patients a treatment experience that is as pleasant and pain-free as possible. Through the sensitive and individually tailored care offered at the Dr. Kolling Dental Practice, we help our patients to overcome their fear of the dentist and enable them to have a positive treatment experience.

We offer anxious patients the choice of various anaesthesia options to help them during treatment. In our practice, we only use anaesthesia selectively to offer especially anxious patients a pleasant and stress-free experience. By tailoring the anaesthetic method and treatment plan to each individual we help to minimise our patients’ worries and concerns, providing them with the highest level of comfort and security.

General anaesthesia: If you wish to have a general anaesthetic, this will be carried out by an experienced anaesthetist in our practice. The anaesthetist will monitor and be with you throughout the treatment.

Sedation/twilight sedation: An alternative to general anaesthesia is sedation. The anaesthetist will administer a combination of painkillers and sedatives to ensure you will be in an anxiety and pain-free semi-conscious state during treatment.

Second appointment: If you opted for a general anaesthetic, you will “sleep through” our dental work. We can carry out a wide range of treatments at once during this appointment, potentially meaning that no further treatment appointments will be required. You will leave the practice (accompanied) after a short recovery period with your teeth in an aesthetically pleasing and fully functional condition.

Third appointment and follow-up care: We are also here for you after the treatment. Our goal is for you to keep your teeth healthy for life – and our success has proven that we are right: Many patients who used to be phobic regularly come to us for check-ups and dental hygiene appointments because they trust us and feel comfortable with us.

Get in touch with us – we will advise what sort of help is best for you personally.