Nervous Patients in Hornchurch.

Years of experience looking after anxious patients with longer appointments, gentle techniques and (where helpful) oral or IV sedation. If fear has kept you away from the dentist for years, you're exactly the kind of patient we're set up to help.

Book a no-pressure first chat How we help
Calm Hornchurch patient with their dentist at a reassuring first conversation
★★★★★
"15 years of avoidance ended at Hacton. Patient, kind, and zero judgement. I'm now a regular."
Steve M.
Older Hornchurch patient calmly viewing his treatment plan with a clinician

How we look after anxious patients.

A first appointment for an anxious patient at Hacton Dental Care doesn't have to involve any clinical work. Many of our most loyal patients started with a first conversation, sitting down with the dentist to talk about what specifically frightens them, looking at the surgery and deciding together what (if anything) to do at the next visit.

From there, treatment is paced to suit you. Longer appointments, breaks built in, the same dentist every visit, and (where helpful) oral or IV sedation so even longer or more complex treatment is comfortable from start to finish.

Is sedation right for me?

Sedation is the right answer if:

  • You have severe dental anxiety that has prevented treatment in the past
  • You need a longer or more complex procedure (extractions, root canal, implants)
  • You have a strong gag reflex
  • You have had a traumatic dental experience that has left you fearful
  • You haven't been to a dentist in years and want a judgement-free starting point

Sedation is not always needed - many anxious patients find that longer appointments, a calmer dentist and the option to stop at any time are enough on their own.

Sedation monitoring equipment in clinical setting

How we'll look after you.

01

Initial conversation

We meet without doing any clinical work first. You tell us what frightens you about the dentist, what specifically went wrong before, and what would help you feel safe.

02

Treatment planning

We discuss what your teeth genuinely need (often less than you fear) and the options for getting it done in a way that fits your anxiety.

03

Sedation discussion

If sedation is appropriate, we discuss the options, costs and what to expect.

04

Treatment in stages

We can break treatment into smaller steps with breaks between, so nothing feels overwhelming.

05

Honest aftercare

We tell you what to expect afterwards in terms of soreness or recovery so there are no nasty surprises.

How much does sedation cost in Hornchurch?

Sedation fees are quoted in addition to the cost of the actual treatment being carried out.

We offer 0% finance over 12, 24 and 36 months and members of the Hacton membership plan receive 10% off treatment.

See full fees and finance

Oral sedation

From £395/hr
A tablet taken before your appointment for deep relaxation

IV sedation

From £395/hr
Stronger form administered by qualified clinician

Inhalation sedation

From £395/hr
Gas and air, useful for children and mild anxiety

The Hacton Dental Care difference.

A long-standing reputation for nervous patients

A significant proportion of our long-term patients started out with severe dental anxiety. Our team has years of experience meeting patients exactly where they are, including patients who haven't been to a dentist in 10 or 20 years.

Longer appointments by default

Anxious patients don't get rushed into 15-minute slots. We block out longer appointments so there's time to talk, time to pause, and time to take breaks if you need them.

A first conversation, not an examination

For very anxious patients we offer a first conversation where nothing clinical happens - you sit down with the dentist, talk through your concerns, look at the surgery and decide what (if anything) to do at the next visit.

Oral and IV sedation available

Where sedation is genuinely the right answer, we offer both oral sedation (a tablet that makes you deeply relaxed) and IV sedation (administered by a qualified clinician for stronger effect on more anxious patients).

No pressure, no judgement, ever

Nobody at Hacton Dental Care will judge you for how long it has been, for the state of your teeth, or for needing to take breaks. Anxiety is met with patience, not pressure.

Same dentist every visit

You see the same dentist at every appointment, so the trust you build at one visit carries forward to the next. No surprises, no new faces.

Hacton Dental Care dentist with anxious patient at a reassuring first visit

One last thing.

If you have read this far, the hardest part is genuinely making the call. The first conversation can be a phone call, an email, or simply walking in to ask when you're passing.

Nothing has to be decided on the day. The goal of a first appointment is to start, not to fix everything at once. Almost every nervous patient we look after tells us afterwards they wish they'd done it sooner.

Book a no-pressure first chat

Ready for a no-pressure first chat?

Book in. Nothing has to be decided on the day. The goal of the first appointment is to start, not to fix everything at once.

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Nervous patient questions, answered.

I haven't been to the dentist in years - will you judge me?

No, we will not - many of our patients haven't been seen in a decade or more, and our entire approach is to meet you exactly where you are with no judgement about what came before.

What's the difference between oral and IV sedation?

Oral sedation is a tablet taken before your appointment that makes you deeply relaxed; IV sedation is a stronger form administered through a small needle for a more profound effect on more anxious patients.

Will I be unconscious during sedation?

No - both oral and IV sedation keep you conscious and able to respond, but you'll be deeply relaxed and typically remember little of the appointment afterwards.

Is sedation safe?

Yes, modern dental sedation is very safe when administered by qualified clinicians, and we follow strict monitoring protocols throughout the appointment.

Can I drive home after sedation?

No - both oral and IV sedation require somebody to bring you to and from the appointment as you cannot drive or operate machinery for 24 hours afterwards.

How much does sedation add to the cost of treatment?

Sedation fees vary by type, with oral sedation the most affordable and IV sedation the most expensive - all quoted in addition to the actual treatment cost.

Will the dentist actually take my anxiety seriously?

Yes - meeting anxious patients with patience and no pressure is one of the things Hacton Dental Care is most known for, and we have years of experience helping people who thought they could never face a dentist again.

Do you offer a nervous patient dentist near me?

Hacton Dental Care is in Hornchurch and a ten minute drive from Upminster, Romford, Elm Park and Rainham, with free on-site parking.

Find us.

Visit us

1 Hacton Lane
Hornchurch
Essex, RM12 6PH

Get directions

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Opening times

Monday9.00am – 6.00pm Tuesday9.00am – 5.00pm Wednesday9.00am – 5.00pm Thursday8.00am – 5.00pm Friday9.00am – 5.00pm SaturdayBy appointment SundayClosed

Closed daily 1.00pm – 2.00pm for lunch.

Hacton Dental Care location map
Looking for an NHS dentist? Our sister practice Church View Dental is 1.1 miles away and currently accepting NHS patients.
Visit Church View