Newcastle dentist introduces new buddy system to help anxious patients overcome their fears
A caring dentist from Newcastle has introduced a new buddy system to try and help anxious patients overcome their fears.
Rob Wain, from Dovetail Bespoke Dental Solutions, is the first dentist in the UK to come up with the idea, which aims to prevent patients from feeling anxious as a result of being afraid to talk about their feelings with others. Many patients who experience dental fear avoid going to the dentist because they don’t feel comfortable talking to friends, family or the dental team about their anxiety. The aim is to prevent those who are scared of going to the dentist from suffering alone.
The buddy system involves pairing up patients with a coordinator, who will be there every step of the way to offer reassurance and support. Dr Wain came up with the idea because he worried that patients feel alone in their anxiety, when this isn’t the case. Dental fear is very common, and dentists are equipped to care for those who suffer from anxiety. The buddy system ensures that every anxious patient has access to somebody who can support them along the way, help to make them feel calmer and answer any questions they have. Many people are worried because they’ve been through negative experiences or they assume that the impending course of treatment is going to be painful and with a buddy there to help, things may not seem so daunting.
Dr Wain has developed the strategy based on the system used by scuba divers. Your assigned buddy is there at every point, and you can call on them whenever you need reassurance.
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