Gustafson and Morningstar Dentistry, easing your fears of the dentist

While we strive to offer the very best dental experience for all our patients, our office realizes that many people still suffer from dental phobia. Dr. Gustafson and Dr. Morningstar have the experience and expertise to treat patients from various dental backgrounds.

We recently had a patient refer his girlfriend to our practice. The referral came with a warning, "she does not like the dentist". Having heard that statement many times over the years, our team thought we knew what to expect. Of course—the moment that she entered the door—we made sure to welcome her to our practice. Being left alone with your thoughts can allow for you to conjure up all kinds of scary stuff, so it's important to maintain a constant conversation. When I took her back to the operatory, she started to cry. This was unexpected.

In this situation, the assistant and Dr. Gustafson sat down with the patient to explain that we would not leave her alone for a minute. We reassured her that we wanted this experience to be a good one and that whatever it took, we were "in" for the long haul. A few jokes later, her tears were gone and she was laughing with our team! When she left, she said her visit was not just a good experience, but a great one.

We have seen this patient for restorative work since then, and she now goes back to the room without a tear! She has thanked us over and over again for helping her overcome her fear of the dentist—and making her feel like she she is visiting friends.