Nervous patients
Nervous about the dentist? Compassionate care in Greenwich, CT
Nobody here will comment on how long it has been since your last visit. The first appointment can simply be a conversation and a look, with nothing treated at all.
How urgent is it?
Routine visit
Come at whatever pace feels right, unless something hurts, in which case call us and let us know you are anxious. It changes how we schedule you.
Opening hours
Mon–Tue 8a–7p · Wed–Thu 8a–5p · Fri 9a–2p
What this usually means
The causes we see most often
01
A bad experience, often in childhood
Usually a specific memory: being rushed, not being warned about something, or pain that was dismissed at the time.
02
Loss of control
Lying back while someone works out of your line of sight is the part many patients name, even more than pain itself.
03
Embarrassment
Worry about being judged for the state of your teeth, or how long it has been, keeps more people away than any needle does.
04
Gagging or a sensitive mouth
A real physical challenge with a set of practical workarounds, not something you need to simply endure.
What to do right now
Before you get here
- 01
Mention it when you book. It is the single most useful thing you can tell us, and we will schedule you accordingly.
- 02
Ask for a first visit that is talking and looking only. That is a completely legitimate appointment to request.
- 03
Bring somebody with you, and feel free to bring headphones.
- 04
Agree on a stop signal with us before we begin anything. You raise a hand, we stop, every time.
What we would do
At the appointment
We start with a conversation, sitting up, and explain what we can see before anything comes near a tooth.
Nothing happens without being described to you first. You will hear what we are about to do, why, and what it will feel like.
Where treatment is needed, we sequence it so the easiest steps happen first and you build confidence, rather than starting with the biggest job on the list. Numbing is done slowly, with a topical applied first.
How we fix it
The treatments this usually leads to
Q & A
What patients ask us about this
No. Our two doctors have practiced here for decades and have heard every version of this. We are interested in what happens next, not what did not happen before.
Ask us when you call and we will tell you honestly what we offer in-office and what we would refer for. Many nervous patients find that a patient-paced appointment and an agreed stop signal are enough.
Yes. Come and meet us, see the office, and go home. That is a perfectly reasonable first appointment.
Where we are
211 East Putnam Avenue, Suite 2-6, Cos Cob
Minutes from central Greenwich on East Putnam Avenue, with parking at the building.
Patients travel to us from
Describe it in your own words when you call. We will tell you whether it needs us today.