Dr. Behl!
I cannot recommend Dr. Maris Behl enough. If you have dental anxiety, she is truly the kind of dentist you hope to find. If teeth could be wrapped in pillows and protected by flying unicorns, Dr. Behl would somehow make it happen.
I have significant anxiety around dental procedures and have needed deeper sedation for dental work in the past. From the beginning, Dr. Behl took the time to listen to my concerns and made me feel genuinely heard rather than dismissed or rushed. She created such a sense of trust and safety that I was eventually able to have my dental work done with only nitrous instead of full sedation, which is something I honestly didn’t think I would be comfortable doing.
During my crown placement, she explained what she was doing throughout the procedure, which made an enormous difference in keeping me calm. She also took the time to address a filling that had been bothering me for what felt like forever — and she actually fixed the problem.
What stands out most about Dr. Behl is how safe I feel in her care. She is compassionate, patient, communicative, and incredibly attentive to how her patients are feeling. For someone with dental anxiety, that combination is invaluable.
Finding a dentist I trust this much has completely changed my experience with dental care. I am incredibly grateful to Dr. Behl and would recommend her without hesitation, especially to anyone who has dental anxiety or has struggled to feel comfortable receiving dental treatment.
Dr Thoms and his team are phenomenal. No question, the absolute best possible option for my child when he needed work done while sleeping (age based). While this option is not inexpensive, this set up of have anesthesiology in-house allowed us to get his mouth healthy when a traditional pediatric dentist could/would not. I am a parent that asks a lot of questions on behalf of my toddler’s care and at no point did I feel judged for this, nor was I rushed during my evaluation process during the consultation. Although the procedure is not one I would like to repeat for my child, my husband and I were both so pleased with how well Dr. Thoms communicated and how he clearly cared for our son’s wellbeing (both physical and emotional during a less than comfortable visit). Cannot recommend the back of house team more highly.
My one detraction is the FOH staff (not everyone) were not nearly as pleasant. I would like to communicate that while their day-to-day is very routine for them, being in that office as a parent is very scary for some people in their office and a little bit of kindness goes along way. I do recall, having a very pleasant conversation with Rebecca, but otherwise everyone else was on the apathetic side, in my personal opinion. That said you’ll notice that I still am leaving a five star review because the dental staff really just knocked out of the park, but as a parent I want to encourage you to look past any rudeness you may experience over email or on the phone because Dr. Thom’s is really that excellent.
Response from the owner:Thank you for taking the time to share such thoughtful feedback. We’re grateful to hear that our team provided compassionate, attentive care and took the time to answer your questions throughout the process. We also appreciate your comments regarding your experience with our front office team and will certainly share your feedback. Your kind words mean so much to us!
Very nice very convenient for me great people working
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad you had a positive experience with our team. We truly appreciate your 5-star review!
The staff is always compassionate and explain all the steps of the procedure. This office has been a God send for me because otherwise I would have let my teeth fall into further disrepair. I highly recommend this office!!!!!
Response from the owner:Thank you for your kind words and recommendation! We’re so glad our team could help make your experience feel comfortable and supportive. We truly appreciate your 5-star review!
Searching for a new dental clinic is challenging for someone who has
dental anxiety, fear, and traumatic experiences in a dental chair. The staff and doctors at the Dental Anesthesia Center were immediately very welcoming. Dr. Thoms put together a very detailed plan to repair and replace the previous work that I had in the past that was now causing problems. Putting my faith in him was the best thing that I could have done for my situation. I am more than completely satisfied with all of the extensive dental work that I’ve had with Dr.Thoms. I had my fourth sleep dentistry experience yesterday and I’m very happy with my results. I highly recommend this practice and truly want to give them more than five stars! Thank you for giving me back my health and confidence.
I adding to this post because of my visit today with the best dental hygienist Delaina and my exam with Dr. Biehl. I have truly never been to such a caring and supportive dental group. Everyone is always conscientious of my needs and knows that I have issues with anxiety. I am always calm when I am sitting in the chair because of their kindness. I am so pleased with the Dental anesthesia center. There needs to be more than five stars. Thank you, everyone.
Response from the owner:We know it isn’t always easy to find a dental office where you feel at ease, so your words mean the world to us. We’re so glad you feel comfortable with our team and truly appreciate your trust and recommendation!
Traumatic Dental or Healthcare Experiences
One of the most common root causes of dental anxiety is past medical care experiences. These can come in two forms. The first is one that is specific to dentistry. An example might be somebody that suffered a painful surgery at a young age or had a dentist make a traumatic mistake at some point. The second form is general medical care. This type of trauma is characterized by a person who had a negative experience with some sort of doctor and now feels anxiety in all healthcare settings, including the dentist office.
Trauma to the Head or Neck
Those that experience significant trauma to the head or neck often become sensitive about any treatment that comes above the shoulders. The result is that when a dentist enters those areas with sharp tools, the patient has an involuntary fight or flight response. Though the dentist is safe and has good intentions, that person’s body will tell them to run away because it does not want to get hurt again.
General Anxiety, PTSD, and Other Mental Health Condition
Unlike the previous two causes, this one is not based on experience. Instead, it is a more general category for people with mental health conditions. One of the most prominent of those problems is general anxiety, which affects people throughout their lives. They tend to experience discomfort, a rising heart rate, heavy breathing, and many more symptoms in a variety of situations. One of them is often going to the dentist. For PTSD, people that have suffered traumatic events are often extremely sensitive to noises and touching, both of which are prevalent at the dentist.
Personal Space Sensitivity
Whether somebody is diagnosed as claustrophobic or is simply uncomfortable with being touched, they will have personal space issues at the dentist. The reason is that oral care requires hands-on treatment, such as putting hands in your mouth, from a medical professional. These kinds of activities will make a person with personal space sensitivity extremely uncomfortable.
Trust Issues
A common theme among children and victims of abuse is not trusting people. This effect is especially relevant in a dental office, where professionals use sharp tools to clean your teeth. If you have trust issues, you might think that the dentist is trying to hurt you, or at least is not competent enough to keep you safe.
Now that you know what the most common root causes of dental anxiety are, you might be able to make peace with your issues. Sometimes all it takes to get over that hump is understanding your feelings. Still, this knowledge might not help your anxiety enough. In this case, you may want to consider dental sedation to make your treatment easier and stress-free. To learn more about the benefits of dental sedation or to schedule an appointment, give us a call at (314) 862-7844.
