Edinburgh - Fraser Hendrie and John Booth

[letsconnect]

Fraser J Hendrie and John Booth
The Craigentinny Dental Practice
57 Duddingston Crescent
Edinburgh
Ph: 0131 669 2114

Fraser Hendrie and John Booth of Craigentinny Dental Practice have been repeatedly recommended on this forum and privately to Dental Fear Central as being excellent with nervous patients.

You can state a preference for either of them when making an appointment. You can find their piccies on their website:

Dentist in Edinburgh | Craigentinny Dental Care

Craigentinny Dental Care provides high quality dental care including pain free dentistry for all categories of patients in Edinburgh.

www.craigentinny.co.uk

The website also has a section for nervous patients:

Scared of Dentist | Craigentinny Dental Care | Craigentinny Dental Care Edinburgh

Sympathetic, caring and experienced dentists who understand dental fear, with more than 20 years experience helping patients like you beat their anxiety.

www.craigentinny.co.uk

 

[minihaha]

Re: Edinburgh

i joined the Craigentinny Practice in nov 08, having never seen a dentist for about 6 years - my fear started after problematic wisdom teeth extraction. On the recommendation of a colleague I made an appt and i was assigned to Fraser Hendrie. I have seen him 3 times since nov and he is excellent. Supportive, understanding and patient without being patronising. And all treatment is done with you in the driving seat - you control the pace. His dental nurses and the hygienist (Jill) are also superb and you never feel rushed or made to feel like a nuisance, nor are you judged by the state of your teeth. Injections are pain free and administered in such a way that you have complete confidence that you are sufficiently numbed. It really is a completely different level of care. He talks to you throughout the treatment , lets you know what he is doing and how long its going to take and before you know it your done and he is asking you to sit up.(he also gives you a few minutes after treatment to get yourself together) I had a couple of small fillings in my front teeth a couple of weeks ago and it was done with the least intrusion, he works deftly away in your mouth, he knows when you need to have a wee break to swallow and take a breather. I suffer from anxiety and on my first appt he spent a good half hour with me getting to know what could trigger an attack, and if i began to panic during treatment he agreed a course of action that i was happy with. I dont need a lot of work done thankfully, just a couple of fillings, some hygienist attention and a splint made to prevent further grinding. I will never be happy in the dentists chair and i struggle to relax but with each visit i feel i am moving forward and conquering my fears. As has been said a million times, its all about finding the right dentist and i would strongly recommend Fraser Hendrie and this practice to anybody in the edinburgh area.

Also, almost forgot, on my first visit they check your blood pressure, discuss your general health, allergies etc. You get screened for oral cancer and he checks your neck and jaw structure - as i said earlier its just a completely different level of care.

 

[iffy]

Re: Edinburgh

I am looking to see this man trying to find the courage to make an appointment are you still happy with your treatment I have to been to a dentist in over 30 years

 

[Jambo_Karen]

Re: Edinburgh

I am looking to see this man trying to find the courage to make an appointment are you still happy with your treatment I have to been to a dentist in over 30 years

I too, am a patient at this practice and I coudn't recommend them enough. Like many people I was terrified of the dentist, but 2 years after registering I am still a patient and attend for my check-ups as required. I am still a little nervous of getting work done but at least now I do attend regularly; for years I would only attend the dentist when in pain and then not return until I was in pain again.

As far as I can remember nothing is done in your first appointment, the dental nurse and dentist have a wee chat with you and ask if they can have a look in your mouth. I always felt fully in control of the situation. The first time I needed work done, (root canal), I was offered a prescription for a sedative to take the night before and on the day of my appointment which helped immensely.

Everyone throughout the practice treats you with respect and compassion and nothing seems to be too much trouble.

I sound like a bit of an advertisment , but I know how it feels to be terrified and the constant worry of how bad your teeth are getting the longer you don't visit, so hopefully this might help you.

I am registered with John Booth but have seen Fraser Hendrie for an emergency appointment, and both are nice and not very scary at all.

Good Luck and hope this helps.

 

[minihaha]

Re: Edinburgh

hi, just wanted to add again to this post and agree with what jambo karen says - this practice really is fantastic. Honestly, from the minute you walk through the door you are in safe hands and to repeat what i said in my earlier post in this thread, the level of care is second to none. My treatment so far has been with Fraser Hendrie as i said before, and he immediately puts you at ease, and has total empathy and understanding with patients who are nervous and need to build up trust with a dentist. You, as the patient,control the pace at which treatment is decided. You are given a treatment plan so you know exactly what needs done and in what priority. You can also sign up to their dental plan which means that you can budget for the cost so there are no hidden surprises financially. The staff on reception are so efficient and friendly, always greet you and welcome you by your first name and make you feel very welcome, there is a real "feel good" atmosphere to the place...fresh, quiet and relaxed waiting area and when the dentist is ready to see you , his assistant comes into the waiting area and accompanies you through to the treatment room, and before you know it, you are in the chair and the issue taken care of. All that aside, what i respect about this practice is that they have the patients best interests at heart and they will work at a pace you are comfortable with - they dont clock watch or try to rush your appointment -i dont know how they do it, but i wish they would bottle their "chairside" manner so to speak and roll it out as standard to all dentist practices . Craigentinny dont just "claim" to help nervous patients.........they really do invest in this policy and i am evidence of that as until i registered with this practice i had never kept to a dentist appt after having traumatic wisdom teeth extracted by a nhs dentist several years ago.

 

[Terrified Boyfriend]

Re: Edinburgh

This service sounds fantastic. For a moment I had some hope that I may finally be able to convince my boyfriend to give it a try and finally sort out the pain he is in all the time but unfortunately not. As this practice does not take on NHS patients

 

[brit]

Re: Edinburgh

This service sounds fantastic. For a moment I had some hope that I may finally be able to convince my boyfriend to give it a try and finally sort out the pain he is in all the time but unfortunately not. As this practice does not take on NHS patients

Your boyfriend should be able to get high quality empathetic NHS care from the Community Dental Service if he is very phobic -

Special Needs and Dental Treatment

Where in the UK and the US can you get dental care if you, or your child, has special needs? This may include disabilities, dental phobia and agoraphobia.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

The NHS funding system in Scotland is also different (more like the old English one) from the disastrous contract in England and Wales, so it may in any case be easier to find an NHS dentist willing to work ethically and sympathetically with him on your side of the border.

All private dentists do not cost the earth however and generally speaking if you are an employed person, it should be possible to choose to budget for dental care (or even take out a bank loan or borrow from relatives) just as you might for a holiday or a car or a new sofa - given that getting dental treatment will likely add immeasurably to the quality of your life in multiple ways. Sometimes it is seemingly a catch-22 with bad teeth preventing someone from obtaining employment dealing with say customers....no one said it would be easy but it is usually worth it, can't think of anyone who has had treatment who has then regretted taking action to restore their dental health.

 

[Eilidh]

After many years of avoiding the 'D' place and then being referred to the dental anxiety department at Glasgow dental hospital (which I found totaly unhelpful and actually made my fear worse) I felt brave one night and typed in 'dental fear' into google and read this page. (at that point even typing those words made me a nervous wreck) I found out that craigentinny were running an open night and went along.

I was terrified but I met John Booth who is possibly the most calming and caring person I’ve ever met. I made an appointment and although this is two years on and I still need work done I feel that I have made huge progress thanks to him and Nicola that I’ve been seeing. The first appointment I had I could hardly walk through the door or open my mouth for him to look, and although I still have a long way to go to feeling completely comfortable I couldn’t think of going anywhere else. They are really positive and understanding and try to do as much as possible to help you feel at ease. I’ve wanted to write something on here for a while (I try to avoid thinking of ‘d’ word unless I have to) but I was at an appointment this morning so feeling brave

Before going to Craigentinny I thought I was the only person that felt this way and felt embarrassed / childish but I feel accepted and understood there. I hope that by writing on here it can help someone else know that you’re not alone and that there is a place that can help you.

Eilidh

 

[Kim]

I am sooooo terribly chuffed for you - before I even began seeing Lincoln, I had started communicating with John at Craigintenny - I wasn't his patient - he wasn't my dentist, but as you say, he was sooooo calming in his way, and that was just through e-mail. I know they don't do sedation and all that, and I know they help you by getting you used to your surroundings and treatment etc, and what they say on the label is obviously what they do, as the proof is in you - well done, and with the help of them xx

 

[Anonymous883]

As someone who sat here on 1 January last year, having made the usual resolution to visit a dentist but still overcome with fear at the prospect, I thought I would share my experience.

I had my first visit to Craigentinny Dental Practice in 2013 (needless to say it was a few months into the year before I plucked up the courage...). Like others on here, I cannot recommend them highly enough.


I was completely terrified beforehand. I knew that the longer I waited, the worse things were getting, but...well...fear trumps logic and my anxiety left me feeling too powerless to do anything about it. Even visiting this forum or Googling "dentists in Edinburgh" was an ordeal that often ended in tears.


I'm pleased to say that things are very different now. I started with their excellent Beat Your Dental Fear e-course, before building up to making a "nervous patient" appointment. Everyone at the practice, from receptionist to dentist, has been so lovely and understanding. One of my many fears was that I would be judged about the state of my teeth, but that hasn't been the case at all. I had imagined all sorts of horrible scenarios for myself, but I can safely say these were far worse than the reality. The treatment I've needed so far hasn't been nearly as extensive (or expensive) as I anticipated - I finally feel like I'm on my way back to dental health in a way I never thought was possible.


If anyone is reading this and is worried about making that first appointment, please know that you are not alone and that you will feel SO much better once you take that first step. My only regret is not making an appointment sooner.

 

[carole]

As someone who sat here on 1 January last year, having made the usual resolution to visit a dentist but still overcome with fear at the prospect, I thought I would share my experience.

I had my first visit to Craigentinny Dental Practice in 2013 (needless to say it was a few months into the year before I plucked up the courage...). Like others on here, I cannot recommend them highly enough.


I was completely terrified beforehand. I knew that the longer I waited, the worse things were getting, but...well...fear trumps logic and my anxiety left me feeling too powerless to do anything about it. Even visiting this forum or Googling "dentists in Edinburgh" was an ordeal that often ended in tears.


I'm pleased to say that things are very different now. I started with their excellent Beat Your Dental Fear e-course, before building up to making a "nervous patient" appointment. Everyone at the practice, from receptionist to dentist, has been so lovely and understanding. One of my many fears was that I would be judged about the state of my teeth, but that hasn't been the case at all. I had imagined all sorts of horrible scenarios for myself, but I can safely say these were far worse than the reality. The treatment I've needed so far hasn't been nearly as extensive (or expensive) as I anticipated - I finally feel like I'm on my way back to dental health in a way I never thought was possible.


If anyone is reading this and is worried about making that first appointment, please know that you are not alone and that you will feel SO much better once you take that first step. My only regret is not making an appointment sooner.

Hi to the forum.

Thank you for taking the time to write this, I am sure it will help many others reading this.

 

[Blessed]

I do not know where to start and I actually do not even know if it’s any helpful to write a review for this practice since I feel like it is already very well known how great they are.

However I cannot help myself since I feel so blessed to have found them and amazed about how they managed to help me with my anxiety in just a few visits. I would never ever want to visit any other practice.

First of all, on their homepage there are no difficult pictures, just flowers and kind looking people, which I really appreciated and found very nervous patient friendly. Also on their videos for nervous patients, there is nothing else than Fraser Hendrie wearing casual clothes and talking.. I almost didn’t realize they are a dental practice until I sat in their waiting room.

I had free email consultation with Fraser Hendrie first (no need to say that I was horrified and needed a week for every email and then had a panic attack every time I got a reply). He was incredibly understanding and kind and at the same time very honest.

The receptionist who called me to make an initial appointment, after I agreed on that via email, was so lovely and reassuring. She endured my confused stuttering and as I froze and couldn’t talk in the middle of our chat, she waited kindly and warmheartedly until I got unfrozen again. She made me feel like it was the most natural thing and was so caring. I even felt like she was sorry for me to have to deal with the dental fear.. she was just wonderful.

At my first appointment I stuttered again, run forth and back and finally froze in the reception area, a lovely receptionist got me seated in the waiting room and was again very kind and reassuring. In the surgery I froze again even before the greeting, I could neither speak nor hear what the dental team was saying. Fraser waited calmly and patiently till I could speak again and made me feel like it was just perfectly fine and absolutely normal. I felt very accepted.

He then listened to me very patiently and tried to really understand what my fears were, he asked questions about my past experiences but also fully respected fears and things I didn’t feel like talking about and led the chat just into the directions I was able to go at that moment.

As he, after a long time, asked if I felt up to let him have a look, it felt like the most natural thing to do.

I joined their Nervous Patient Program which is a series of visits to get used to dental care in tiny little steps and at your own pace and they absolutely kept what they promised.
At some visits I needed to chat for 5 minutes to get calm enough to even sit in the chair, at some visits it was 15, but Fraser never rushed me into anything but encouraged me to let him know if I got overwhelmed so we could stop. During the treatment he always made sure that I was ok and encouraged me to stop him any time. No one of the team ever made me feel silly or embarrassed, on contrary, Fraser always stressed that every person has some fears and that there is nothing to feel silly about. He has a very calm and reassuring presence and knows how to make things flowing and always made me feel supported. Also for the reception it was always fine when I couldn’t concentrate or talk and they always allowed me to sit in the waiting area first to get calmed down a bit. The receptionists and nurses are just angels, always very compassionate and kind, always friendly. I just can't believe how lovely the place is.

My emotional, physical and communicational boundaries were respected at all times and Fraser took every tiny single fear I had very seriously (even the ones I felt ashamed, silly or embarrassed for) and looked for ways to make it easier for me and gave me options and control whenever possible.

I was for example in the first visits not be able to talk much about anything that had to do with teeth, wasn’t able to see any pictures or tools and was also very sensitive to words. Fraser has a great intuition (and indeed expertise) and respected this without me ever having to ask for it directly. With a lot of things he just waited till I came up with them which I really appreciated since I had some profound problems with communication at that point.

Fraser and the whole team of Craigentinny are just amazing and have literally changed my life. Coming from a place of panic attacks in the chair, dissociations and a deep feelings of shame and embarrassment, I hoped to be able to endure dental treatment once in my life somehow but I would actually never have dreamed of really trusting any dentist and even feeling relaxed during a treatment.
I am amazed about how human and compassionate they are and I feel totally respected and supported at all times.

So please if you are looking for a practice in Edinburgh, no matter where your dental fears come from and which issues you have, contact Craigentinny Dental Care or start with their E-Course or with an email consultation, you will be so happy you did…