Comfort
Being frightened of the dentist is not a character flaw.
It is one of the most common reasons people leave a problem until it becomes an emergency. We would rather remove the reason than lecture you about it.
Start by telling us
When you book, or when you sit down. You do not need to explain it or apologise for it, and you will not be the first person that day to say it.
It changes the whole appointment: how much we explain before we begin, how often we stop, how much we try to do in one visit. Three short appointments that you can get through are worth incomparably more than one long one that you cannot.
The single most useful thing we do is agree a signal — a raised hand — that stops everything immediately. Not "when I reach a good point". Immediately. Patients who discover that it actually works usually relax within minutes, because the thing they were afraid of was never the drill. It was not being able to stop.
The comfort menu
Ask for any of it. None of it costs extra.
Some of this sounds like hotel amenities. It is not decoration — each of these exists because it measurably helps someone get through an appointment.
Weighted blanket
The pressure genuinely helps. Ask for one before we start rather than halfway through.
Netflix or Prime Video goggles
Watch something through the whole appointment. For many people, having somewhere else to look is the single most effective thing we offer.
Noise-cancelling headphones
The sound of dentistry bothers people more than the sensation does. Bring your own playlist or use ours.
A proper drinks list
Not a paper cup of water. Ask to see what we have.
Coffee and tea
Good coffee, and a tea selection that includes things without caffeine for anyone who is already tense.
Aromatherapy
Optional, and easy to decline. Tell us if you would rather the room smelled of nothing at all.
Mini library and toys for children
A shelf of books and things to play with, so waiting is not the worst part of the visit.
Outdoor seating
For waiting, for a parent who needs a moment, or for after an appointment before you travel.
Unhurried appointments
A first visit is at least an hour by design. Comfort is mostly a function of not being rushed.
A signal that stops everything
Agreed before we begin, and honoured. This one costs nothing and matters more than all the rest.
Medication
Anti-anxiety medication, where it is appropriate
For patients whose anxiety is severe enough that the measures above are not sufficient, one of the doctors can discuss anti-anxiety medication and prescribe it where it is clinically appropriate.
This is a medical decision, not an item on a menu. It requires an assessment of your medical history and current medication, it is not suitable for everyone, and if it is prescribed you will need someone to travel home with you. We will not agree to it on a first phone call, and any clinic that would is not being careful with you.
We do not promise painless treatment or guaranteed outcomes. What we can promise is that you will know what is happening and that you can stop at any point.
For children
The visit where nothing happens
A child's first appointment is deliberately short and usually involves no treatment at all. They sit in the chair, meet the dentist, and leave. It exists so that the clinic stops being an unfamiliar place.
There is a shelf of books and toys, and you are welcome to bring a nervous child in simply to look at the room and meet us. That is a perfectly good reason for an appointment — say so when you book.
Talk to a dentist, not a call centre
We are in Luohu, a short ride from the Lo Wu crossing. Message us and one of the doctors will answer your question before you decide anything.