How many dentists have you gone to?
Regularly changing dentists is just a bad idea.
Get a recommendation from someone you know who says they were nervous, chose a particular dentist and now would go to no one else and give that dentist a decent chance.
You need to develop a relationship with one dentist and over time you will become more comfortable with them and they with you.
Everyone can be a little nervous in a new relationship.
They will also have reminders on your card re your sensitive teeth etc.
You are also likely to have fewer procedures as dentists are more comfortable to keep stuff under observation with patients who they know will come back.
Because you're nervous they also will be more likely to go down the advise and keep under observation route especially if your overall decay rate is low.
And that crappy amalgam that looks like it needs replacing?
Your long-term dentist knows it's looked like that for ten years now.
All those kinds of things.
Any advice for finding a good dentist? I'm severely in need of a dentist after years upon years of neglect, mainly due to not being able to afford it, but now I'm in a position where I can at least work towards something proper. Yet, I've got no idea where to start. Thoughts?
Personal recommendations are usually how people find their dentists, I'm not sure there's any better way. Ask several colleagues and friends to talk to you in depth about their experiences. Make sure you ask if they recommended extensive expensive treatments, routinely recommending such treatments is a bad sign the dentist is doing unnecessary work for profit (which happens). Don't hesitate to call up different offices with any questions you may have. If they won't or can't answer your questions they aren't worth your time. Don't hesitate about getting a second opinion if you're not sure about their treatment plan.
Really it's about recommendations, ask lots of people who they go to and why. I'd avoid a practice that's part of a chain like the plague, they are more likely to have a high turnover of dentists, who are under pressure to produce.
I'd go for a small practice with at most a few dentists all ideally partners who are there for the long haul.
Definitely avoid quick jobs like combining a holiday with treatment packages.
If you've left things a long time, the first task may just be to stabilise things and then you can gradually get the things you want, done. There are always options and some cost a lot more than others. It's a trade off off involving satisfaction in terms of aesthetics and function, cost and the amount of time you'll need to spend in the chair. Sorry that all sounds a bit wafflely as i write it but it's true really.
Get a recommendation from someone you know who says they were nervous, chose a particular dentist and now would go to no one else and give that dentist a decent chance.
You need to develop a relationship with one dentist and over time you will become more comfortable with them and they with you. Everyone can be a little nervous in a new relationship. They will also have reminders on your card re your sensitive teeth etc.
You are also likely to have fewer procedures as dentists are more comfortable to keep stuff under observation with patients who they know will come back. Because you're nervous they also will be more likely to go down the advise and keep under observation route especially if your overall decay rate is low. And that crappy amalgam that looks like it needs replacing? Your long-term dentist knows it's looked like that for ten years now. All those kinds of things.