Seeking a loving gentle and non judgemental dentist in or near Surrey

[Surreyvwphobic]

A desperate cry for help. Have looked at many websites, some thanks to leads on this site, but yet to find the right dentist for me.
I have a history of cleft lip and palate, and following extensive orthodontic and maxillo surgery to reconstruct my face and jaw since birth, I am now left with a very sensitive mouth to the point that I cannot bear anyone poking around inside, and even daily brushing can be a trial at the best of times. My last dental experience in September 2010 was a disaster; having opted to brave a cleanup awake, I ended up in shear agony and trauma, and the dentist herself, despite claiming to be a phobic specialist was an absolute cow!! I have been in varying states of discomfort ever since.

So, I am now on that search for that special person who can look after me on a regular basis with love and compassion and without attitude. Sedation is difficult, as I have no escort to rely on afterwards. Can anyone help? Please message me on here with any thoughts/ideas.

Thanks, Simon (Surreyvwphobic)

 

[vicki]

Hi Simon

You've probably already seen the Find A Dentist recommendations for your area, but just in case you haven't, you can find them here:

South East

Dentist reviews and listings for dentists in the South East of England who have an interest in helping nervous or phobia patients overcome their fears.

www.dentalfearcentral.org

There are quite a few for the Surrey area, so you could try emailing them and explaining your situation to see whether they would be able to help you. Sometimes you can get a good feel for what a dental practice might be like from looking at their website and sometimes the website might not be that great, but the dentist is just the person you're looking for.

Another option you could try is your local community dental service as they specialise in helping patients who have medical histories such as yours and they also see patients with dental fear/phobia. Your local Primary Care Trust should be able to point you in the right direction and you can find their details on the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist

Don't give up, it's just a matter of finding the right dentist who can work with you in a way that you're comfortable with. It is possible

I hope you don't mind, but I also removed your mobile number from your post to protect your privacy as companies sometimes surf websites to collect phone numbers for marketing purposes. People will be able to reply to you via this thread or via personal message.

 

[Surreyvwphobic]

Thanks for your kind message. Have been out to 4 surgeries today, with some surprising success! The first, whilst welcoming and understanding could not introduce me to their dentist and wanted me to pay for an appointment to meet him. The practice was also on a very busy road which was stressful to find even when not under pressure, so have probably given up on this one.

However, two have proved very promising indeed! The last one I saw (in Bracknell) is called Blueberry dental. I met Bob To for 10 minutes in between patients, and he was simply fantastic; he was the first to acknowledge that I had a genuine problem needing specialist care (I have a lot of scar tissue from my Le Fort Advancement in 1994). Immediately he felt that I really needed sedation because of my discomfort, and has taken me on free of charge whilst he researches all the dental hospitals on my behalf, and is also going to give my original hospital a severe going over for ignoring my plight on an impromptu visit to them recently. All of this pledged to be done within a fortnight. What an amazing guy!! Even if I do not end up with him for my regular care, I will certainly be putting a bottle of wine in his hand at some point.........

The second practice I visited was Gipsy Lane dental practice in Earley, just outside Reading, and not too far from Earlye station. I was made very welcome by reception, and the waiting area comfortable enough and airy with nice touches such as a large fish tank (which I sadly did not notice at the time, but have found on the site since). I met Hitesh Chandegra one of the main dentists there, and he was simply LOVELY!! Like Bob, he was committed to helping and comforting me after my many years of ordeals. He has such a loving personality, that, even having not yet entrusted him to my care, I would urge all users on this site with phobias to contact him. He is just so sweet, that I think so many nohopers could be pacified by him. His kindness got a tear out of my eye when I left!! I am not totally sure if he can honestly cope with my unique difficulties, but his heart is certainly there, and he definitely cares about the person without judgement. I do seriously recommend him from this brief encounter, and he is at the top of my shortlist at present.

Finally, I visited Smile2o in central Wokingham. Beverley Cox was very welcoming and spent ages with me going through my issues, and I did get to meet Wayne Williams, their lead dentist at the close of play. I do not think he was quite for me, but he certainly exuded professionalism and seems like someone you could trust ultimately.

To close I thank all on here for their help and support so far; my search officially goes on at present, as there are still a few more local possibilities to explore, but the future certainly looks much more promising all of a sudden!!

With heartfelt thanks to all, Simon (Surreyvwphobic) XX

 

[vicki]

That's fantastic news !! Well done for getting in there and checking them out - it's a great way to see what they're like and get a feel for the place at the same time too.

Even though your search goes on, now you know that there are a couple of real possibilities for you to try as well.

Keep us posted and let us know how it goes!

(BTW, Love your reviews - I reckon there's probably a market for 'The Nervous Patient's Dental Practice Guide' - a bit like a restaurant or hotel guide including awarding star ratings! Now that would be a useful book!!)

 

[Surreyvwphobic]

Thanks for your kind words Vicki. Since even last night there have been huge further developments, again from the team at Blueberry. I had a lovely phone call this afternoon from their receptionist, detailing her very hard work carried out on my behalf already; in such a short space of time, they have managed to get assurances from several hospitals that they can treat me after a simple dentist referral; furthermore, they have also come up with some exciting answers to my sedation escort problems. What a team! As mentioned yesterday, I think a spray of flowers and a decent bottle of wine will be coming their way very soon......

Still more possibilities are now filtering through nonetheless, but at last I think the end to this awful ordeal is finally in sight! Will of course continue with updates, and my continued heartfelt thanks go out to all for their help and support with all of this.

Love Simon (Surreyvwphobic)

 

[amandah]

A desperate cry for help. Have looked at many websites, some thanks to leads on this site, but yet to find the right dentist for me.
I have a history of cleft lip and palate, and following extensive orthodontic and maxillo surgery to reconstruct my face and jaw since birth, I am now left with a very sensitive mouth to the point that I cannot bear anyone poking around inside, and even daily brushing can be a trial at the best of times. My last dental experience in September 2010 was a disaster; having opted to brave a cleanup awake, I ended up in shear agony and trauma, and the dentist herself, despite claiming to be a phobic specialist was an absolute cow!! I have been in varying states of discomfort ever since.

So, I am now on that search for that special person who can look after me on a regular basis with love and compassion and without attitude. Sedation is difficult, as I have no escort to rely on afterwards. Can anyone help? Please message me on here with any thoughts/ideas.

Thanks, Simon (Surreyvwphobic)

Hi I am too a dental phobic. Where are you in the surrey area? Are you near Guildford? There is a good dentist in Guildford but she is private. She is Dr Aitken davies form north dene dental practice in Guildford. Good Luck regards amandah

 

[Surreyvwphobic]

Thanks for your kind words Amandah. I believe I may have found somebody at long last, but Guildford is much nearer, and your dentist is certainly worth a look at least! If you can send website and number, I will follow up. Many thanks, Simon XX

 

[Surreyvwphobic]

Hello to all on the site. Sorry its been a bit quiet recently, but a lot going on which meant the dental project had to go on hold for a bit!

The good news is that I finally decided to book up with Bob at Blueberry Dental in Bracknell, Berkshire UK. I go for an hours first consult on Friday 22nd July (2 weeks time), so wish me luck!! At least I know I am in good hands at the very basic level. I have got someone going with me which should help. Will update on how things went.....

Love Simon (Surreyvwphobic)

That's fantastic news !! Well done for getting in there and checking them out - it's a great way to see what they're like and get a feel for the place at the same time too.

Even though your search goes on, now you know that there are a couple of real possibilities for you to try as well.

Keep us posted and let us know how it goes!

(BTW, Love your reviews - I reckon there's probably a market for 'The Nervous Patient's Dental Practice Guide' - a bit like a restaurant or hotel guide including awarding star ratings! Now that would be a useful book!!)