Anxious About the Dentist?

Patient Concerns

Dental fear is one of the most common reasons people put off treatment. Our team is set up for it, with time, explanation, and a comfort menu you can actually use.

Do you put off the smile of your dreams due to dental fear? There is no reason to be scared anymore.

Request an AppointmentCall (630) 427-1800
A relaxed, comfortable dental visit at B&R Dentists in Darien, IL

You Are Not the Only One

Let our team of professionals put you at ease. As our patient you are our number one priority. Our doctors and team understand that the dental chair can be overwhelming. We have found that it is important to make our patients feel relaxed, and our doctors are known and loved by their patients for being calm and for taking the time needed to ensure that each and every patient understands their treatment plan and diagnosis. At B&R Dentists we go out of our way to offer a complimentary menu of services to alleviate any anxiety. Dr. Ammar takes a straightforward, patient-centered approach: prioritizing clear communication and practical treatment planning to help patients make informed decisions about their care. Dr. Kholoki believes in patient education, gentle techniques, and preventive care.

Where Dental Anxiety Comes From

Most of it traces back to something specific rather than being general nervousness. A painful experience as a child, when techniques and anaesthetic were different. A dentist who did not stop when asked, which turns the chair into a place where you have no control. Being lectured or made to feel ashamed about the state of your teeth. This one keeps more people away than pain does. Fear of needles. A strong gag reflex, which makes impressions and back teeth genuinely difficult. Not being able to see what is happening or how long it will take. Worry about the cost, and about being told something expensive with no warning. Sounds and smells that trigger the memory before anything has even started. Every one of those has a practical answer, and none of them is unusual.

Why It Is Worth Facing

Avoidance has a cost that compounds. A cavity that would have been a twenty-minute filling becomes a root canal and a crown after two years, then an extraction after five, so the treatment people are afraid of is precisely the treatment that avoidance leads to. The longer the gap, the more there is to face, and the harder it becomes to walk in, which is the loop that keeps people away for a decade. Breaking it is usually far less dramatic than expected: the first appointment can be nothing more than sitting down, talking, and looking. Patients who have avoided dentistry for years overwhelmingly describe the same thing afterward, that the anticipation was worse than the visit, and that the relief of no longer carrying it around was the biggest part.

How We Work With Anxious Patients

Tell us when you book. It means we can give you a longer appointment so nothing is rushed, and often a quieter time of day. The first visit does not have to include treatment. For many people it is a conversation and an examination, nothing more, so that the next visit is somewhere you have already been. We explain what we are going to do before we do it, and we stop when you raise your hand. Every step, including what it will cost, is agreed before it starts, because unexpected news in the chair is one of the things people find hardest. And you are welcome to use the comfort menu: enjoy our massaging dental chairs, Netflix movies or shows, heated aroma therapy neck pillows, scented towels to refresh after your appointment, cool eye masks, bottled water and Wi-Fi. Bring headphones and your own music if that helps; bring someone with you if that helps. None of this is unusual to us.

Common Questions

What should I say when I book?
Just say you are anxious about dental treatment. You do not need to explain or justify it. It tells us to allow more time, to go slower, and to check in with you more often, and the person answering the phone hears it regularly.
I have not been to a dentist in years. Will I be judged?
No. It is one of the most common situations we see, and it is not interesting to us as a moral matter, only as a clinical starting point. You will get a plain account of where things stand and a plan we can work through in whatever order suits you.
Can I stop partway through if I need to?
Yes. We agree a signal — usually raising your hand — and we stop. Knowing you can stop is often what makes it possible not to need to, because a large part of dental anxiety is about having no control once you are in the chair.
What if I am afraid of needles specifically?
Tell us. Topical numbing gel goes on first so the injection itself is far less noticeable, we can go slowly, and you do not have to watch. Needle phobia is common and there are practical ways around it.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes, absolutely. Many people find it much easier with a partner, friend or family member in the room, and we have no objection at all.

Terms You May Hear

Dental anxiety
Nervousness about dental treatment, ranging from mild unease to avoidance of care altogether. Extremely common.
Comfort menu
The complimentary items we offer to make an appointment easier: chairs, screens, pillows, eye masks and more.
Stop signal
An agreed gesture, usually a raised hand, that pauses treatment immediately whenever you need it.

Related Services

Ready to Schedule Your Appointment?

Call (630) 427-1800 and tell whoever answers that you are nervous. It changes how we schedule you, and it is the most useful thing you can say.

Request an Appointment(630) 427-1800