Dental fear is rarely only about teeth.
Throughout my career I have worked closely with people experiencing pain, fear and vulnerability. I came to understand dental anxiety as something deeply individual. For some people it is connected with loss of control. For others it may involve shame, inherited anxiety or previous experiences.
Why the mouth can feel so vulnerable
The mouth is an intimate space. Dental treatment asks a person to surrender a degree of control while another person works in an area they cannot easily see. When fear is dismissed or rushed, it can intensify.
My approach developed around listening. I do not believe fear should simply be overridden. Giving patients time, explanation and choice can help create a greater sense of safety and trust.
Listening beyond the procedure
My own early experiences made me highly aware of human vulnerability, and that sensitivity became part of the way I practised dentistry. I became interested in what lay beneath a person's words as well as the clinical problem in front of me.
Hypnotherapy and attentive listening also became part of my work with dental anxiety. These experiences strengthened my belief that each person's response is individual and that the emotional experience of dentistry deserves attention alongside the technical treatment.
Creating an environment of care
When I founded Mortiboys Dental Spa in 2000, I designed the environment intentionally as a sanctuary. Light, sound, scent and atmosphere were considered as part of helping people feel calmer before treatment began.
This thinking became one strand of the wider philosophy I now call The Dental Shaman: maintaining clinical standards while bringing greater presence, compassion and awareness to the person receiving care.
Read more about the journey behind this work in My Story.
— Marc Mortiboys, Founder of The Dental Shaman