What our patients say about us
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West Sussex
01342 458034
High Street Dental Practice
I've always been a tad sceptical when it came to reading other peoples testimonials about dentistry, often thinking they all seemed so 'nice' and 'happy'. I imagined they were written by people who didn't really have any problems with their teeth to start with. I did have problems with my teeth.
I hope that by reading this you will gain some real insight into what it's like to be a patient at the High Street Dental Practice and hopefully for those of you who are new, nervous or just not sure, my experiences will encourage you to take control of your own dental health.
I have always had problems with my teeth.. (I owe this to growing up in the 70's when it was normal to frequently bathe your teeth in sugary fizzy products) Anyway, for whatever reasons, like many others, I needed filling(s)from a young age, and my early dental experiences were far from pleasant.
This led to a pattern of only going to the dentist when I absolutely had to, it was always the last resort! I suffered the consequences; often needing more work, in some cases loosing teeth. I would struggle to continue and complete dental treatment plans mainly due to feeling so overwhelmed by having to have so much done.
Once again, last year, I found myself in the same situation. I needed to find a dentist as my teeth were in such a state and I'd had many failed attempts of fixing the problem myself through home dentistry kits. I also had health issues which were definitely aggravated by having poor dental hygiene.
We have all heard about nervous patients and can understand dental phobias etc, but in my case I was not afraid or phobic of anything in particular, I was just absolutely riddled with anxiety about the whole process.
The initial anxiety, you know, the walking through the door, the smell, the faint noise of dental work taking place in some far off room..Practical anxieties, how am I going to afford it if I need more work done? And then the embarrassing state of my teeth that had been neglected.
The shame I felt about the state of my teeth was overwhelming, so much so, I burst into tears once I'd sat in 'the chair'. My dentist Jas and dental nurse really listened to my concerns and helped to quickly dissolve my initial anxieties.
I have worked out why this dental practice is different. They put you in control. You choose everything together, treatment plans, timings, everything is gently negotiated, not rushed. Even when you are unable to speak during actual treatment, an agreed signal, like raising your hand, if you need work to pause, take a breather or say something, puts you in control of what's happening.
For those of us who need more than a couple of fillings, treatment plan costs can be spread out in interest free payments.
I'm not going to tell you if the dental team are 'nice' or if what work they all do is particularly good, great or special. That's for you to experience. I have nearly completed a treatment plan which has completely restored my smile. My overall health has improved and for the first time in my life I'm not ashamed of my teeth.
Sharon J, East Grinstead