It can be a somewhat unnerving experience for dental patients who require a filling; after they are reassured by their dental professional that it will be minor, they are then faced with a large needle containing the numbing agent. Far from calming!

Along with drills and the odours associated with dental surgery, many patients rank the numbing injection needle as one of their top worries when they visit their surgery for a check-up.

While some patients can come to terms with the sight of the needle, patients who have more intense dental phobias fail to cope and often avoid dental check-ups for years on end simply because they dislike these needles.

As dentistry has advanced in its treatment of phobic patients, there are now solutions to many of the average worries that patients will have. And, when you come to Garden View for your dental treatment, our dentist in Buckinghamshire will use the Wand to numb your gums.

Never heard of the Wand? Read on for the advantages it offers over typical injections.

It looks inconspicuous

Let’s be honest; the traditional dental injection needle is far from a pleasant sight.

Usually composed of a silver syringe and the long, black needle, it is no wonder so many dental patients dislike it!

When you come to our dentist in Buckinghamshire, you may be surprised at the appearance of the Wand; it looks like a pen! With no sterile surfaces and no enormous needle, it is much easier to feel relaxed as it is placed into your mouth to administer the numbing relief.

It is targeted

Many dental patients complain that when they have been injected, one entire side of their face goes numb.

Not so with the Wand! As our dentist in Buckinghamshire will tell you, it offers a more targeted approach to numbing the required area, meaning no discomfort during the procedure and no sagging face afterwards!

Also, it’s effects wear off much quicker, allowing you to go about your day as normal after the dental appointment.

It is painless

And of course, one of the main advantages that the Wand offers over traditional dental injections is that it is painless to use.

The needle contained within the Wand is thinner and shorter than needles which are typically used to numb a patient’s mouth, and with our team’s expert training and skill in using the Wand, you won’t even know that you have had an injection.

It is time-saving

If you have had a filling or an extraction in the last 10 years at an NHS dentist, you may remember having to wait around while the numbing injection took effect.

As the Wand is more targeted, it saves a great deal of time for both you and our team. Once injected, the surrounding area becomes instantly numb, meaning that you will have less time in the dental chair and an overall shorter appointment. And of course, there is nothing more popular for a nervous dental patient than a shorter appointment!

It goes without saying that there are very few children out there who enjoy that biannual trip for a dental check-up.

And, as a parent, it can feel like a bit of a pain in the neck to have to drag them along to it, especially if they are toddlers. Some parents of younger children adopt an interesting approach to childhood dentistry- they are only milk teeth, so why should they need looking after?

Luckily, these parents are becoming the minority; there are many advantages of getting your child seen by a dental team as early as possible, not only to prevent further dental issues but to also reduce the likelihood of any phobias developing. As innumerable studies have found, there is a link between early exposure to dentistry and improved oral health later in life, so it can make a difference.

At Garden View, our team is always welcoming towards younger patients, who may need a bit more encouragement to come in and see us. Our dentist in Buckinghamshire will always be as friendly as possible towards your child, making the entire experience about learning how to care for teeth fun and memorable.

So, what are some key advantages of early years visits to our dentist in Buckinghamshire?

Decay detection

Many parents are aware that their child enjoys sweets. As many younger children struggle with learning how to brush their teeth correctly, this can lead to a higher incidence of cavities in this age group. If you regularly bring your child to see our dentist in Buckinghamshire, potential decay can be detected earlier, allowing for a less invasive and uncomfortable treatment option. Perfect!

Fluoride

Milk teeth are physically weaker than adult teeth, as the outer layer of enamel is thinner.

As mentioned before, mix thinner enamel with sweets and poor brushing, and you have a recipe for decay and cavities. Our team will be able to apply fluoride sealant to areas of your child’s teeth that need a little added strength, protecting the tooth from bacteria and decay.

Orthodontic

If you have a history of orthodontic issues in your family, the earlier you get your child seen by a member of our team, the less invasive any potential treatments will be.

Orthodontic issues which may occur with adult teeth can be detected early, allowing our team to apply less uncomfortable treatments to correct them.

Improved oral health

As you may have guessed, there is a real oral health benefit for your child in visiting our dental team earlier in life. Not only will we be able to show them how to clean their teeth, while monitoring for any spots of decay, but earlier exposure to dentistry has also been linked to superior oral health in later life.

Confidence

And with improved oral health comes higher confidence!

Not just with their smiles, but in their willingness and ability to attend dental check-ups throughout their life without experiencing any undue fear or anxieties about having their teeth examined. Perfect!

Scared of the dentist? Or is it just needles that make you afraid? Either way, we at Garden View want you to know that we take your anxieties very seriously and would never do anything to belittle your very real concerns about any treatments you need at our dentist in Buckinghamshire. Many people have dental or needle phobias and you are not alone in wanting to avoid these kinds of situations, but your oral health is of great importance to us and we have taken steps to make you feel as relaxed and calm as possible, and to try to remove your anxiety altogether.

Dental and needle phobias

These phobias and their related anxieties often stem from a fear of pain, and it isn’t your fault; the human brain is hardwired to avoid pain at all costs in order to help us survive and your brain is just trying to protect you. In many cases however this fear of pain comes from a very legitimate and real negative experience in the past, that triggered your brain to associate that past experience with dentistry. It could have been a painful dental experience in childhood, or a negative experience with an unkind dentist who treated you badly, or even an experience out of the dental practice with needles, that has caused you to become phobic of them.

Patients who have these phobias can be difficult to work on and the experience is not pleasant for anyone involved, which is why dentistry has come up with creative ways to help patients like you who may be nervous about the visit. Many dentists offer sedation in the form of gas for those who are afraid of needles, this ‘happy gas’ will make you feel calm and completely at ease before and during dental procedures and will help you get through the ordeal with a smile. There is also IV sedation for those who are fine with needles, but hate the dentist. Your dentist in Buckinghamshire hopes to provide you with the kindest care we can give in order to help change your brain into feeling safe in the dentist chair, rather than afraid. We want your experience to be a good one as our aim is to take away your pain, not give you pain.

Wand painless injections

In order for most dental work to take place, the area needs to be numbed and the only way we can do this is by injecting a local anaesthetic into the area we intend to work on, this used to cause a problem with pain phobic and needle-phobic patients until we got the CompuDent system which has revolutionised the feeling and look of traditional injections. The ‘wand’ that we use looks more like a pen than a needle and syringe, and it feels about the same as holding a pen in your mouth. We are now able to administer our local anaesthetic painlessly so that your anxieties can be at a total minimum. You will feel nothing once the liquid starts to work and you will feel nothing when we are giving it to you either, all you have to do is lie back and comfortably let the dentist in Buckinghamshire do their job.

Don’t panic, it really isn’t so bad, we promise. We know that the thought of this treatment probably has you cringing, but there really is no need, it is a standard dental procedure that we at Garden View do weekly – if not daily – and most of our patients leave feeling surprised at how painless it was in the end. In fact, if you are in need of a root canal treatment you are probably in more pain right now than you will be in our chair at the dentist in Buckinghamshire, and we hope that by providing you with an understanding of the treatment, you can come to visit us without any fear.

When do you need a root canal?

If there is an infection inside the pulp of your tooth, you are going to know all about it because that tooth is going to be hurting. Biting, chewing, and even speaking may be painful and we want to take that pain away. If you don’t take care of that tooth now, the infection and the consequences thereof will spread to other teeth; a painful tooth could, however, mean something else like a simple small cavity or a piece of popcorn that’s been lodged in there a while. The minute you start to feel discomfort make an appointment to come see your dentist in Buckinghamshire, in order for us to determine what treatment you may need, but here are some other symptoms you can look out for too.

Sensitivity

If cold or hot foods and drinks make you wince in pain for a particular tooth it may indicate an infection.

Discolouration

An infection in the pulp could blacken the tooth on the outside, in which case it may be too late to rescue that particular tooth, but we will need to take care of the infection to save the rest of your teeth.

Persistent pain

Not only will you feel pain deep in the tooth, but if you leave it long enough the pain will be felt in your face and jaw.

Loose teeth

An infected tooth may begin to wiggle in its socket.

Treatment

A root canal treatment at your dentist in Buckinghamshire is a procedure that removes the decayed pulp from inside your tooth to help preserve it before it has a chance to infect other teeth or fall out completely, there are four steps to this treatment:

Numbing

Anaesthetic is administered with our special wand so that you will feel nothing during the procedure.

Drilling

The dentist will make a space at the top of the tooth to expose the infection.

Cleaning

We will then remove the infected pulp from your tooth and properly clean out the space with jets of water.

Filling

After cleaning the tooth is then filled with a special substance once more, to replace the pulp and then it is given a temporary covering while a crown is made to be permanently fitted later on.

Treatment can take roughly ninety minutes during which, and for a while afterward, you will not feel any pain.

While it is true that a dentist in Buckinghamshire is there to fix all sorts of problems from crooked teeth, to dental emergencies, to day to day cavity filling, we at Garden View believe that preventive dentistry can help patients more in the long run, by providing not only healthy dental advice but regular care that helps patients avoid all kinds of damage that they would prefer not to have to come in for. No one wants a root canal when the option to avoid one is available.

Where to begin

If you have children, start them young, a positive first experience at the dentist can avoid years’ worth of anxiety that many adults still suffer from due to dental phobias. By avoiding dental anxiety children are more likely to maintain a good record of dental check-ups into adulthood than those who didn’t get into the habit as youngsters. At the dentist in Buckinghamshire, we aim to create an environment that children can feel comfortable in. We also provide them with the best sources of education regarding their dental health and preventive treatments like fissure sealing and fluoride enhancers, in order to maintain their oral health and avoid cavity fillings which may be scary for a child to endure; prevention is always better than a cure.

For adults

We offer dental hygiene appointments with our professional dental hygienist who will use specialised scaling and polishing techniques with tools and pastes, in order to give you a deep and complete clean of not only your teeth, but your gums as well. It is advised that you get these appointments regularly and you can schedule them along with your regular dental check-ups or between check-ups so that you are getting the most from our dentist in Buckinghamshire.

Things to look out for

Bad breath

Not just the morning breath you wake up with or that garlic from the pizza the night before, but the kind of bad breath that just doesn’t seem to go away, not even with brushing. This is a sign that you may have plaque and the beginnings of gingivitis which is the start of gum disease. There could also be an underlying medical issue in the gut, throat and/or nose that causes bad breath, even diseases like diabetes or kidney disease can cause it, but it is a good idea to first get it checked out at the dentist. If we rule out anything in the mouth then you will know that you need to investigate further elsewhere. But if it is caused by bad dental hygiene, then we may help you sort it out.

Decay detection

This is something you may only notice because you have pain, but a dentist will be able to find it a lot sooner than that, which is why regular check-ups are important. They could help you avoid pain altogether, even our dental hygienist can help detect any problem areas before you begin to notice them.

Sensitive teeth

Sharp pain in the teeth when you drink or eat something too hot or cold is not normal, and if you experience tooth sensitivity it is an indication that you need to see a dentist, as we are able to help you desensitise your teeth with fluoride treatments.

Modern technologies have made transforming your smile relatively quick and often life-changing. People who go from having crooked and/or stained teeth to a new bright and straight smile in a matter of weeks or months have an uplifted sense of confidence and self-worth and thus have the ability to make lasting and good first impressions. At Garden View, your dentist in Buckinghamshire, we aim to help you create the vision of your own perfect smile with tried and tested techniques and practices of modern cosmetic dentistry.

The winning smile

Psychology studies have found that people make subconscious judgments on others upon first meetings, even if they don’t mean to. A dull crooked smile could give off the perception that you are not so successful in either your professional or love life. Now this, of course, does not hold true as fact and is simply an unconscious perception. Think of it as natural selection, our brains are hardwired to choose the most attractive and healthy mate, this then extends to social and professional environments. If you are unhappy with your smile and would like to alter these unfair perceptions people may have of you, your dentist in Buckinghamshire is here to help with cosmetic dental treatments that show your best self.

Treatments

Closing gaps

While some supermodels have a front tooth gap that really works for them, for most of us it is an unsightly annoyance that we would prefer to change, some people may even have little black triangles between the teeth where they met at the gums. Not only do these gaps and spaces make you look older, but they can also be a breeding ground for bacteria. Luckily, there is a simple method to close those gaps that are affecting your confidence in the way you smile and putting your health at risk; by filling them with a composite bonding technique called the ClarkMatrix treatment that can be performed in a single dental appointment. This treatment matches your teeth and will not be visible, the only thing that will be noticeable is the impressive transformation of your smile.

White fillings

Nowadays, we fill a cavity with a tooth coloured white filling which is hardly noticeable at all when you laugh or smile, this treatment although necessary for health purposes also enhances the look of your smile, we can exchange old metal fillings for new white ones should you wish to.

Porcelain veneers

Veneers are a permanent and irreversible way to quickly transform a smile no matter the position or colour of the teeth. We will file down your natural teeth into a stamp-like shape in order to place custom made veneers over them. These veneers exactly mimic the colour, shape, and transparency of natural teeth and the right shade and size will be custom made to fit you perfectly. People often get veneers on the front 6 top and bottom teeth in order to help transform their smiles in a matter of only 2 appointments.

Tooth whitening

This treatment at your dentist in Buckinghamshire can be used to transform a dull, yellow or stained set of teeth into a bright gleaming smile.

Dental anxiety, or dental fear, is estimated to affect around 36 % of the population. This dental phobia can be so bad that people will actually put their oral health at risk and avoid going to the dentist. Here at Garden View Dental Care, we take this statistic very seriously. Therefore, it is our mission to provide exemplary dental care while maintaining a relaxing environment with warm and friendly staff, and to treat our patients with the utmost respect and dignity.

There are many factors that can be considered as causing dental anxiety. Evidence suggests that dental fear is complex and multifactorial. Some may fear the thought of someone rummaging around in their mouth, or maybe dental fear comes from past traumatic instances, or even perhaps a potential patient has become afraid due to the hearsay of friends and the media. Whatever the reason for dental phobia, you can rest assured that with us you’re in safe hands.

What we do differently

The first thing new patients will notice is our residence. Some past patients have even joked they feel like they are walking into a warm and friendly B&B, not a dental practice at all! The lobby is decorated in a modern, pleasant style with comfortable sofas and armchairs to relax in. Some patients avail themselves of complimentary hot beverages and read from our wide range of the latest magazines and newspapers.

We don’t expect nervous patients to want to be treated on their first session, so they are invited to sit down with our dentist in Buckinghamshire and discuss any fears, anxieties and concerns they may have. This initial consultation is for you to ask any questions, and for us to come up with a suitable treatment plan that works for you. If you want, you can even bring your partner, friend, or significant other in with you to the consultation.

The chair, you will notice, sits facing an open window onto our beautifully decorated garden. This garden view is to allow our patients to feel comfortable during their treatment. If, however, sitting long in the dental chair is something that you don’t feel like you can handle, we can modify the treatment to spread out over a longer time so you won’t have to spend as long in the chair.

Some treatments require anaesthetic delivered by a needle. This can be something that can be daunting for a nervous patient. If you feel weak at the sight of the needle, the Wand painless injection might be a more suitable fit for you. This small handpiece looks a bit like a pen and administers anaesthesia controlled by a computer. The computer system delivers the flow smoothly, eliminating the ‘bee sting’ that a needle produces. The Wand also minimises the unnecessary numbness of the tongue, cheek, and face. 

Benefits of dentistry

Here at Garden View Dental Care, we want to emphasise how important it is that patients experiencing dental phobia do their best to overcome that fear and visit their dentist. Dentistry has been called the window into overall health, with good reason. There is a correlation between good dental health and reduced disease. According to the literature, keeping good oral hygiene can reduce cardiovascular disease, endocarditis, and pneumonia. With that in mind, we strongly recommend you see a dentist in Buckinghamshire sooner, rather than later. So if you are still nervous at the prospect of the treatment, please stop by, we would be glad to help reassure you, to get you the dental care you need.

At Garden View Dental Care, we believe that dentistry goes beyond treating a patient’s teeth; we treat the person. We never forget the importance of being relaxed in dentistry, as it can be quite uncomfortable at times. That is why we have designed our facility, from the location where we reside to the dentist chair where we operate, to be as comfortable as possible.

The first thing new patients will notice is the pleasant, modern environment. Patients entering the reception space will be greeted by warm and friendly staff. In the waiting area, patients can relax on comfortable sofas or armchairs with all the latest magazines and newspapers. While you wait, we encourage you to avail yourself of our free wi-fi and to enjoy any of our selection of hot drinks. When it is time for your appointment, you will enter the dental office. The dental chair is positioned so our patients can gaze out at our beautifully manicured garden. Our dentist and hygienist will explain the treatment options depending on each patient. We offer a wide variety of services to our patients for their convenience.

Treatments at the dentist in Buckinghamshire

We provide a full range of dentistry to cater to all of our potential patients, including general, preventive, restorative, cosmetic and orthodontic. General dentistry includes all emergency dentistry, as well as extractions and oral surgeries. Root canal treatment is a typical treatment in general dentistry, which treats an infected area inside the tooth and prevents further infections and abscesses occurring.

Often, the best treatment is preventive. Avoid the pain of having an infection in the root canal by attending regular hygiene and dental check-ups. By visiting our dental hygienist, you will have a professional to clean your teeth, removing any build-up of plaque that you may have missed. We all miss plaque in those hard to reach places even with daily brushing and flossing. That is why it is crucial to have the benefit of a professional clean from time to time.

Although preventive dentistry reduces your chance significantly of succumbing to any dental infection, sometimes there are uncontrollable circumstances which mean you need restorative dentistry. You may have experienced an accident where your tooth has become chipped, broken, or even knocked out! It will then be necessary to access a dental practitioner as soon as possible. If this scenario applies to you, you can call for emergency dental care. There are many options for saving broken or chipped teeth, such as veneers, bridges and implants.

If it is a beautiful smile you’re after, maybe cosmetic or orthodontic dentistry is the right fit for you. Cosmetic dentistry deals with the overall aesthetics of your teeth, including teeth whitening, veneers, white fillings, and gap closure. If you want beautiful, white, straight teeth you may be  inclined to opt for orthodontic treatments. Orthodontics isn’t just for extraordinarily crowded or crooked teeth. Frequently people just need slight adjustment with minimal work to get their teeth into their most flattering position. With ever-advancing technology, it is now possible to avail yourself of these treatments, without even letting on you have braces. There are clear brace options to choose from such as Invisalign (the invisible brace), Six Month Smiles, and the use of inconspicuous tracks and wires.

So you see, the dentist in Buckinghamshire attends to all potential patients’ dental needs. Not only this, but at Garden View Dental Care, we provide a service that is not only effective, but also extremely comfortable.

There is a reason it is seen as a social faux-pas.

While there are many causes of bad breath, such as eating garlic or dehydration, if you notice that your breath is a bit aromatically unpleasant most of the time, it is time to book a dental appointment.

In society today, there are many ways to alleviate bad breath, such as chewing gum, but as bad breath is not a condition in itself, it should be taken seriously if it is persistent. As it may indicate any number of health issues, it may be worth ditching the gum and calling our team instead; you will save a lot of money on chewing gum and breath mints!

At Garden View, we have helped many patients freshen their breath and improve their oral health. While our dentist in Buckinghamshire will target each treatment to the patient, we will endeavour to identify the underlying cause of your poor breath and treat it. If required, we can refer you for other procedures, such as a scale and polish, to prevent the recurrence of bad breath too. Perfect!

But what could your persistent bad breath indicate? And why is it so important to see our dentist in Buckinghamshire if you have it? Read on to find out.

Periodontal disease

Perhaps the number one culprit of bad breath is periodontal (gum) disease, such as gingivitis.

Put simply, if your gums are inflamed, they are more likely to bleed regularly and so, proteins from your blood provide more food for oral bacteria to feed on. Yikes!

Our dentist in Buckinghamshire can provide you with a specialist mouthwash to reduce the inflammation caused by gum disease and can refer you for a scale and polish to remove associated plaque.

Tooth decay

It could be a minor cavity or caused by a cracked filling, but tooth decay is another cause of bad breath.

As these can be detected with regular dental check-ups, it is important to see our team twice a year, and our hygienist at least once a year, to identify and treat any new or pre-existing decay.

Acid reflux

How does acid reflux impact on your breath and how can a dental team help?

Well, in instances of prolonged acid-reflux, our team is likely to notice acid erosion on your teeth, making them more susceptible to cavities, cracks and other issues.

We can provide you with an acid neutralising mouthwash, to reduce the damage reflux causes to your teeth, which will improve your breath too!

Poor hygiene

If you brush your teeth every couple of days, you are more likely to have chronic bad breath.

This is because odour causing bacteria isn’t being removed regularly, and is accumulating on your teeth and gums; so it is important to keep up good oral hygiene.

Lifestyle

Do you smoke? In many instances, poor breath can be caused by lifestyle factors such as smoking. Ask our team for advice on smoking cessation and other factors that could cause bad breath.

It is nothing short of a conundrum; you want to have healthy, whiter teeth but the thought of walking into a dental surgery causes you to sweat. And, as is the way with human nature, if you avoid attending regular dental check-ups, you are putting the health of your mouth at risk.

Rest assured that you are not alone; many dental patients experience some sort of anxiety at the prospect of attending a check-up and, while you may have concerns about the condition of your teeth and gums, rest assured that the days of the lecturing dental team are long gone. Compassion and understanding are more commonly practiced in dental surgeries today, allowing you to build up your confidence.

At Garden View, our team can help you overcome your anxieties and worries. Our dentist in Buckinghamshire will take the time to listen to your concerns, get to know you as a person and guide you through a check-up with a no-pressure approach.

But why else should you choose our dentist in Buckinghamshire if you are a nervous patient?

Music

If you are like many nervous dental patients, it is the sound of the drill that makes your heart rate jump.

Luckily, our dentist in Buckinghamshire has just the solution for cancelling out the sounds of the dental surgery; music!

While you are in the chair, you are free to bring along headphones to listen to music or an audiobook. If you forget, don’t worry; our team has a set of headphones on hand and can play calming music to you while you are in the dental chair. Perfect!

Friends

At Garden View, we know it takes a truly brave person to face their fears and attend a dental check-up if they have a phobia.

But, while you may feel you can handle this alone, our team will welcome any friends or family members that you want to bring with you. Offering you moral support, they can make the day more enjoyable and can take you out for a well-earned coffee afterward.

Communication

Like most things, communication is the key to success.

When it comes to phobias, our team wants you to feel you can talk to us about any concerns you have and, as trained professionals, we will work with you to find a way to make communication easier. If you want our team to explain what they are doing just say and, consequently, you can tell us if you need a break.

Wand

At Garden View, we are able to offer injections with minimal discomfort using our wand therapy.

Visually resembling a pen and computer-controlled, the wand reduces the bee sting feeling of dental numbing.

No judgement

Fear of judgement is a key factor in many people’s dental phobias.

Our team will always treat you with dignity and respect, allowing you to feel comfortable while in the dental chair. Perfect!