NHS Portsmouth Looking for Dental Phobics to Help Dentists
NHS Portsmouth is calling for people who suffer from dental phobia to volunteer to help dental professionals to make examinations easier and less stress-free.
The trust is asking for people to spend time with dentists and dental staff at workshops to try and make trips to the dentist easier for people who have dental phobia. The staff present at the workshops all have a special interest in working with nervous patients.
Lee Loveless, from NHS Portsmouth, said that the trust is looking for people who suffer from dental phobia to help dentists and other dental staff to make dental visits less daunting for people in a similar situation. The workshops will be very relaxed and informal and will work in the a similar way to a conference, where patients will be asked to suggest measures dentists can take to make patients feel more comfortable and dentists can ask patients questions.
The workshops are taking place following the results of research carried out in Portsmouth to try and determine why so many people fail to attend regular check-ups. The result of the survey showed that people are confused about the cost of dental treatment, many feel that regular check-ups are not essential and many fear going to the dentist. Some patients are so scared of going to the dentist that they have not visited a surgery for 20 years.
The workshop will take place on Tuesday 29th November and food will be provided and travel costs can be reimbursed.
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