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…