Nervous About the Dentist? What a Gentle First Visit Looks Like in Oak Ridge

If your stomach tightens when you think about sitting in a dental chair, you're in good company. Plenty of people put off the dentist for years because of a bad memory or just not knowing what comes next. This post walks through what a gentle first visit at Premier Dental Associates in Oak Ridge is like.

Start with a phone call, not a form

The fastest and best way to reach the office or schedule an appointment is to call (865) 483-1323. That's how the practice prefers to do it, and it works in your favor. You get to say what's on your mind before you ever set foot in the building.

Say it plainly. "I'm nervous about the dentist" is a complete sentence, and the team hears it all the time. Tell them if it's been years since your last visit. You don't have to explain or apologize.

The office is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and closed Friday through Sunday. If you'd rather get it over with, ask for an early slot.

What the people at Premier Dental are like

You'll meet a team that includes registered dental hygienists, registered dental assistants, and a front office crew, all working alongside Dr. David Lee, who has been practicing dentistry for 35 years. The practice is family and locally owned, and it describes its own approach as gentle and patient.

That's marketing language until a patient says it. One new patient wrote this in a Google review:

"I came in as a brand-new patient with severe tooth pain and honestly, a lot of fear and anxiety about going to the dentist. From the moment I walked in, the staff made me feel completely at ease. They were kind, patient, and incredibly understanding of my nerves." (Andrea Dees, Google review)

The same reviewer said the office got her in first thing in the morning and had a root canal scheduled for the very next day. Not every situation moves that fast, but it shows how the team treats someone who walks in scared and hurting. The practice holds a 5.0 rating from 523 Google reviews.

What actually happens at a first visit

Every office runs its own routine, so call and ask what your first appointment will include. In general, a first visit at a general dentist covers a few basics. You talk about your health history and what brought you in. The dentist looks at your teeth, gums, and bite. X-rays are common, since they show what's happening under the surface. Then you and the dentist talk about what you found and what, if anything, needs attention.

A first visit is mostly looking and talking. If something needs treatment, the usual approach is to explain the problem, go over your options, and schedule the work for another day so you can think it over.

Dr. Lee's patients mention the explaining a lot. One reviewer wrote that he "always goes the extra mile to explain the procedure and possibilities." When you understand what's being done and why, a lot of the fear drains out of it.

The paperwork is handled

Nobody likes sitting in a waiting room with a clipboard while their nerves build. Premier Dental says it completes all the necessary paperwork for you, and that it keeps up with its yearly certifications. Ask the front office what you'll need to bring, and they'll tell you. If you use CareCredit for dental expenses, the office accepts it. To pay a bill, call the front office.

Spanish speakers are welcome too. Dr. Lee speaks Spanish, and the practice says so right on its website: Se habla español. If explaining a health concern is easier in your first language, you can say so when you call.

Small things that make a big difference

You have more control over the appointment than you might think. Here are a few things that help many nervous patients, and none of them are unusual requests:

• Tell the hygienist and the dentist you're anxious before anything starts.
• Agree on a hand signal, like raising your left hand, that means stop and give me a minute.
• Ask them to say what they're about to do before they do it.
• Ask questions whenever they come up, even the ones that feel silly.
• Breathe slowly through your nose, in for four counts and out for six, while you're in the chair.
• Bring headphones if the sounds bother you, and ask if that's okay.
• Plan something calm for afterward so the visit isn't followed by a rush.

A good dental team would rather stop for a minute than push through with a patient who's gripping the armrests. If you need a break, use your signal.

Take the first step

The hardest part of a dental visit is usually the phone call, and after that it gets easier. Premier Dental Associates is at 201 Bus Terminal Rd in Oak Ridge. Call (865) 483-1323, tell them you're nervous, and ask for a first visit that goes slow.

If a tooth hurts right now, don't wait for the nerves to fade. Call and say you're in pain.