I haven't seen a dentist in years. Will I be judged?

No. Our team sees patients every week who have stayed away for years - sometimes decades. You will not be lectured. The first visit is about understanding where things are and what you'd like to happen, at whatever pace suits you. As our dentists say in their own words: there's no judgement here.

Can the first appointment just be a chat?

Yes. Tell us when you book that you're nervous and would like to take things slowly. An examination can be as gentle as you need, and nothing is ever done without being explained first and agreed with you - including the cost, in writing.

What helps on the day?

Small things make a real difference: book a time when you won't feel rushed (we're open until 8pm Monday to Thursday, and until 5pm on Fridays), bring headphones if music helps you, agree a stop signal with your dentist - a raised hand means we pause, no questions asked - and ask as many questions as you like. Understanding what's happening is often the single biggest anxiety-reducer.

Does being nervous cost extra?

No - going at your pace is not a chargeable extra, it's how care should work. NHS examinations are free in Scotland, and any treatment is always quoted before it's done, so there are no surprises to worry about.

Guide · Nervous patients

Nervous about the dentist? You’re not alone — and you’re not a problem

Dental anxiety is one of the most common reasons people put off care — often for years. If that’s you, nothing on this page will tell you off. It will just show you how we make visits manageable, and how to take the first step on your own terms.

Where anxiety usually comes from

For most nervous patients it isn’t really about drills — it’s about a bad experience years ago, the feeling of not being in control, or the fear of being judged for how things look now. Many patients carry the memory of not being heard. Our founders built this practice around the opposite: listening comes before anything else, and patient care isn’t a slogan.

How a visit works when you tell us you’re nervous

You set the pace. A first visit can be an unhurried conversation and a gentle look — nothing more until you’re ready.
Everything is explained before it happens — what, why, and what it will feel like. No surprises, ever.
You stay in control — agree a stop signal and we pause the moment you use it.
No lectures, whatever we find. Wherever your teeth are today is simply the starting point.
Costs can’t ambush you — NHS exams are free in Scotland, and every treatment is quoted in writing before it’s done.
You don’t have to come alone — you’re welcome to bring someone into the room with you.

Will it hurt? An honest answer

For most fillings, and for extractions and root canal treatment, the tooth is numbed with a local anaesthetic, and your dentist checks it has worked before starting. The injection itself can cause some discomfort. Once you’re numb you shouldn’t feel pain, although you may still feel pressure, and with an extraction some movement.

If anything does hurt, tell your dentist or use your stop signal, and they can give you more anaesthetic. If the injection is what you dread, say so: you can ask for a numbing gel to be put on the gum first, as NHS inform and the Oral Health Foundation both describe.

Dreading the scale and polish? Tell us when you book and the appointment is paced around you. Guided Biofilm Therapy, a private hygiene appointment, uses warm water and keeps scaling to the plaque the dye still shows, and most patients, nervous ones included, find it more comfortable than a traditional scale and polish.

What happens at your first check-up

A check-up covers your teeth, gums, bite and the soft tissues of your mouth, plus any X-rays needed. Treatment doesn’t normally happen at this visit. If any is recommended, you get a written plan with prices first, with no obligation; if nothing needs doing, we’ll tell you that too. If something urgent is found, we’ll deal with the pain, with your agreement, and book the rest.

Coping tips you can use

These tips come from NHS inform and the Oral Health Foundation.

Practise a calming breathing exercise beforehand: breathe in for three seconds, hold for two, then breathe out for three, and repeat for a few minutes.
If needles or blood make you feel dizzy or light-headed, tense and release a set of muscles for a few minutes, for example by clenching and unclenching your fists.
Ask the dental nurse to talk to you, or sit with you, during the appointment.
Take small steps. NHS inform’s phobias self-help guide, based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), explains how to face a fear gradually, starting with the step that causes the least anxiety. Here, that can mean calling in to see the practice first, then a chat, then a check-up, then any treatment.
Keep going. Regular visits help you get used to the surroundings and build trust with your dental team, so for many people visits get easier over time.

If saying it out loud is the hard part

You don’t have to explain on the phone. Email info@citydentalcare.co.uk or use the form on our contact page, and tell us what worries you most, whether that’s needles, the drill or simply that it’s been years. Reception usually replies within one working day; if you’re in pain, call instead. Tell us you’re nervous when you book, and the appointment is paced around you.

Hear it from the team, not a webpage

Below, one of our dentists speaks directly to nervous patients — someone you could actually see. Sometimes hearing a person say it does more than any article.

The first step can be tiny

Book online without speaking to anyone, or call and simply say “I’m nervous” — the team takes it from there. Evenings until 8pm Monday to Thursday, and Fridays until 5pm, if daytime feels rushed.

Book online - no phone call needed Call 0131 228 2442