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A study showed that a third of patients awaiting dental hygiene appointments suffer from some form of pretreatment nerves. With nervous patients, dental anxiety tends to come from the uncertainty of what is to come. ‘We did not expect that so many patients who attend maintenance therapy visits on such a regular basis experience recurring pretreatment anxiety for what we consider to be a routine (harmless) preventive procedure,’ said Deborah Hofer, study author and research associate at the Clinic of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Cariology in the Center of Dental Medicine at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.

Anxiety levels of 46 patients were measured as part the 2009 study, where patients awaiting routine hygiene appointments all felt some form of stress or alertness prior to their treatment. Deborah added: ‘That [dental anxiety] also affected one-third of our dental hygiene recall population again sheds light on the importance of management.’ But is a visit to the dentist really all that bad?

Here at Seapoint, our team of highly trained dentists and hygienists can help your dental health on track, recommending you have a routine check-up every six months. Through regular check-ups,
our team can help monitor your general health and detect any potential problems early on, meaning they are easier and less costly to repair. All this is done in a relaxing atmosphere, where your comfort is just as important to us as your dental health. It's never easy garnering the courage to visit the dentist, but at Seapoint it is something you should never worry about. A few simple changes to your daily routine can also help your oral health:

• Avoid sweets and sweetened drinks where possible
• A healthy diet can prevent gum disease
• Floss at least once a day, preferably before brushing your teeth.
• Replace your toothbrush every two to four months. Doing so can prevent bacteria from building on your toothbrush.
• Be sure to use a high fluoride toothpaste in order to strengthen tooth enamel and prevent tooth decay.
• Always schedule regular check-ups with your dentist in order to preserve your oral hygiene.

If you do find yourself requiring treatment, there are a range of straightforward procedures to help you regain your sparkling smile.

Cleaning

This routine procedure is provided by our dental hygienists in order to deep clean plaque and tartar build up, this cannot be performed through regular brushing alone.

Examination

An oral hygienist can examine your teeth for signs of trauma and disease. At your examination, you will be given a detailed plan on how to improve your dental health.

Filling

One of the most common methods used to restore teeth, you can have white fillings used to transform your teeth by getting rid of those unsightly black fillings. This enables us to restore your smile with a natural tooth shine and can be used to reshape teeth or close small gaps.

Wisdom Tooth Removal

At Seapoint Clinic, we are able to extract all wisdom teeth, even the more difficult impactions. In most cases, this procedure will be covered by your health insurer meaning you won't require a referral or be stuck on a waiting list.

We understand that dental phobia is very common and nothing to be embarrassed about. That's why we meet patients every day who have struggled to go to the dentist for years and we are more than happy to help you in this difficult situation. We offer a range of sedation to help more nervous patients and make every effort to ensure you have an enjoyable dental experience.