Dr Anupam Sinha
BDS, MDS - Orthodontics
- Delhi State Dental Council registration number A-6723 (2015).
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Dental Anxiety in Greater Kailash 1, Delhi
Fear of the dentist is common, and it is a reason many people put off care until a small problem becomes a painful one. At Orion Dental Clinic, a dentist in Greater Kailash 1 (GK 1), South Delhi, this page explains the difference between dental anxiety and dental phobia, what a 2024 review of 173 trials found works and does not, how sedation fits in, and how to make a first visit easier, in plain language.
Care is planned by Dr Anupam Sinha (BDS, MDS) and Dr Natalia DeSilva (BDS, MDS). Tell us you are nervous when you book, and ask as many questions as you need.
- Saying you are anxious lets the team go slowly and check in with you 1
- Tell the dentist
- A talking therapy such as cognitive behavioural therapy helps long-standing dental anxiety 1
- CBT
- Considered if non-drug methods are not enough, with written instructions on fasting and an escort 3
- Sedation
- Virtual reality, music, aromatherapy, video information and acupuncture showed no benefit in the trials 1
- Not shown to help
These statements come from systematic reviews and Scottish sedation guidance, listed at the end of the page. Your dentist will explain what applies to you.
Medically reviewed by Dr Anupam Sinha, BDS, MDS - Orthodontics, .
Quick answer
Dental anxiety at Orion Dental Clinic in Greater Kailash 1, Delhi is met by talking first, agreeing signals and starting gently. Dr Anupam Sinha and Dr Natalia DeSilva explain what helps. Cognitive behavioural therapy and hypnosis have the strongest support in the research, and sedation is for those who need it.
01 Overview
What is dental anxiety, and what helps in Greater Kailash 1, Delhi?
Dental anxiety ranges from unease to a phobia. A review based on the German guideline says it is difficult to tell a dental phobia, which needs an interdisciplinary approach, from anxiety that the dentist can manage alone, and recommends assessing it with a questionnaire together with observing the patient.2 A 2024 review of 173 randomised trials found that dental anxieties are manageable and treatable, but that the treatment has to match the purpose: easing acute fear during a visit is different from reducing long-standing anxiety and avoidance.1
What it found is useful. For anxiety during oral surgery, moderate-certainty evidence supports hypnosis, and low-certainty evidence supports benzodiazepines. For long-standing dental anxiety, moderate-certainty evidence supports cognitive behavioural therapy, and for dental phobia, psychotherapy and CBT in particular. The evidence did not support virtual reality exposure, virtual reality distraction, music, aromatherapy, video information or acupuncture.1 That does not mean they cannot be pleasant, only that the trials did not show a benefit.
Sedation is one tool among several. The Scottish guidance says to explore all anxiety management techniques first, including cognitive behavioural therapy, distraction, guided imagery, hypnosis and play therapy, and to choose the simplest effective sedation if it is needed.3 Our page on sedation dentistry explains the types, and our page on pediatric dentistry covers children.
Dental anxiety can be treated, and the right help depends on whether you are afraid in the chair or afraid for months beforehand.
02 Candidacy
Who has dental anxiety, and when should you ask for help in Greater Kailash 1, Delhi?
You do not need a diagnosis to ask for a gentler visit. These are signs that anxiety is getting in the way.
Signs that anxiety is getting in the way
Say that you are nervous when you book, because everything else follows from that.
03 Options
Which dental anxiety options are there in Greater Kailash 1?
The 2024 review compared the options, and the Scottish guidance explains where sedation fits.
Cognitive behavioural therapy for dental anxiety
A talking therapy given by a trained therapist. Moderate-certainty evidence supports CBT for long-standing dental anxiety, and CBT specifically for dental phobia, with low-to-moderate certainty.1
CBT, moderate certainty 1
Hypnosis during dental treatment
Moderate-certainty evidence supports hypnosis for easing anxiety during oral surgery.1 It is a skill that a trained practitioner provides, so ask whether it is available.
Hypnosis, moderate certainty 1
Sedation for dental anxiety
Nitrous oxide with oxygen succeeded in 94.9% of cases in a review of 19 studies.5 In wisdom tooth surgery, sedation improved anxiety in 6 of 17 trials, but the findings were inconclusive and conflicting.4 Low-certainty evidence supports benzodiazepines for anxiety during oral surgery.1
94.9% for nitrous oxide 5
The clinic will tell you which of these it can provide, and which it would refer elsewhere.
| CBT | Hypnosis | Sedation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suits | Long-standing anxiety and phobia 1 | Anxiety during oral surgery 1 | Fear in the chair when other methods are not enough 3 |
| What the research found | Moderate certainty, effect size -0.65 1 | Moderate certainty 1 | Nitrous oxide 94.9% success 5; mixed in wisdom tooth surgery 4 |
| Main limit | Needs a trained therapist and sessions | Needs a trained practitioner | Needs a trained team, and an escort for most types 3 |
Match the help to the problem: therapy for long-standing fear, and sedation for the chair.
04 Procedure
How can a dental visit be made easier, step by step?
These are suggestions for a gentler visit. Your dentist will fit them to you.
The plan puts you in control, and treatment starts only when you are ready.
Telling us you are nervous about the dentist
Say so when you book. It lets the team plan a slower, longer visit and avoid surprises.
Meeting the dentist first
A first visit can be only a conversation and a look, without any treatment, so you can see the surroundings and ask questions.
Assessing how anxious you are
The dentist asks about what frightens you, how long, and how it affects you, because assessment guides the help, and a phobia may need extra support.2
Agreeing a stop signal
You choose a sign, such as a raised hand, that means stop, so you stay in control of the visit.
Starting small
You begin with the simplest thing, such as a check-up or clean, and move on to treatment only when you feel ready.
Using the methods that suit you
Non-drug methods such as relaxation, distraction, guided imagery and hypnosis are explored first, and sedation is added if you need it.13
Going back, and thinking about therapy
Regular short visits build trust, and if the fear is long-standing, a talking therapy such as CBT is worth asking about.1
05 Aftercare
Looking after yourself around a dental visit in Greater Kailash 1
Your dentist will give you advice that fits you. These are general suggestions.
Before the visit
Choose a time of day that suits you, bring a friend or relative if that helps, and eat and drink as your dentist advises. If sedation is planned, follow the written instructions on fasting and your escort.3
During the visit
Use your stop signal, breathe slowly, and tell the team what you feel. Sedation does not replace the local anaesthetic that numbs the tooth.
After sedation
A responsible adult should take you home, and for sedation other than nitrous oxide should stay with you for the rest of the day.3
Afterwards
Book the next visit while you are feeling positive about this one, because regular short visits keep problems small.
When to call us
Call the clinic on 098115 01995 if you are nervous about booking, and tell us when you call. If you are in pain with swelling that spreads across your face or neck, or trouble breathing or swallowing, call 112 or go to a hospital emergency department.
Plan the visit around how you feel, and keep coming back in short steps.
06 Limits and risks
What does not work, and when is more help needed?
Not every well-meant remedy has been shown to work, and strong fear sometimes needs more than the dentist. These are the limits:
- Virtual reality, music, aromatherapy, video information and acupuncture, which the 2024 trials did not support for easing anxiety during treatment.
- A long-standing phobia, which may need a psychologist as well as the dentist.
- Sedation used as the first answer, when non-drug methods have not been tried.
- No adult able to take you home, because most sedation needs an escort.
- Avoidance that has already led to pain or infection, which needs prompt care.
In these cases a talking therapy, a different method, or prompt dental treatment with extra support may be needed.
Risks and complications
Several popular aids were not supported. The 2024 review found the evidence did not support virtual reality exposure, virtual reality distraction, music, aromatherapy, video information or acupuncture, and that inconclusive evidence applied to psychotherapy for fear during a visit.1
Sedation evidence is mixed. In wisdom tooth surgery, sedation was associated with less anxiety in 6 of 17 trials, with inconclusive and conflicting findings overall.4
Much of the sedation guidance is consensus. The Scottish guidance says much of its evidence was other guidelines, and that evidence for midazolam was of low quality overall.3
Avoiding the dentist can harm your health. Putting off care lets small problems become painful ones, and a dental abscess needs urgent treatment.1
A good plan uses what has been shown to help and is honest about what has not.
07 Your visit
What happens at your first appointment if you are anxious?
At your first visit, a dentist at Orion Dental Clinic starts by talking, not treating. You are asked what frightens you, what has happened before, how long you have felt this way and what would make the visit easier. You are asked about your health, medicines and allergies.
The dentist can then look at your teeth if you are ready, or leave that for another visit. You agree a stop signal, talk through which methods could help, including sedation and what to ask about it, and decide the pace together.
The first visit can be a conversation only, and you decide how far to go.
08 Why this clinic
Why choose Orion Dental Clinic for dental anxiety in Greater Kailash 1?
You meet the doctors who will treat you, and you can tell them what frightens you.
Dr Natalia DeSilva
BDS, MDS - Oral Medicine and Radiology
- Delhi State Dental Council registration number A 11417 (2013), and Karnataka State Dental Council A-13203 (2003).
Doctors you can ask
Dr Anupam Sinha and Dr Natalia DeSilva see patients who are nervous, and patients mention both in their reviews.
What patients say
Patients describe in reviews that the dentists took time to explain their options and reduced the anxiety they had about treatments they had put off.
Questions answered first
You can ask which sedation options the clinic provides, who gives them and how you are monitored, before you decide.
Tell the team you are nervous, and ask what they would do to help.
09 Reviews
Patient reviews of Orion Dental Clinic in Greater Kailash 1
“Dr. Natalia and and the whole staff of Orion dental is super kind and friendly and caring - exactly what one needs especially if they are afraid of dentists and dental procedures. I got my wisdom tooth out at Orion dental - and the experience was actually super comfortable and with minimal pain. I was quite scared but I was really made to feel at ease and less anxious. Would highly recommend this dental clinic!”
“I went to dr Natalia for my RTC, i was very scared but after meeting dr Natalia all my fears vanished. She is undoubtedly a very good doctor and apart from that a wonderful human being very caring and affectionate. I would highly recommend everyone to go to dr Natalia.”
“Hi, i took my son for the dental checkup. It was very good experience and dr. Natalia was gentle with the him. He was not scared at all.”
10 Visit us
Dentist for nervous patients in Greater Kailash 1 (GK 1), Delhi: location and hours
Mon to Sat, 9:30 am to 8:00 pm
Orion Dental Clinic Basement, E 75, Greater Kailash-1,Greater Kailash Enclave I
New Delhi, Delhi 110048
098115 01995
| Monday to Saturday | 9:30 am to 8:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Sunday | Closed |
If you are looking for a dentist for anxious patients in Greater Kailash or nearby, Orion Dental Clinic is in the basement of E 75, Greater Kailash Enclave 1 (GK 1), opposite Anubhav Play School, with the entrance at Gate 1, so call or message us on WhatsApp to book an appointment and use the map for directions. More about the clinic: dentist in Greater Kailash.
11 Travelling patients
Visiting Delhi and nervous about the dentist?
If you are visiting Delhi and anxious about a dental problem, tell us when you call, and we will plan a slower first visit. If sedation is planned, most types need a responsible adult to take you home and stay with you for the rest of the day, so plan to bring someone.3 A first visit can be only an examination and a talk.
You can read about how dental tourism in Delhi works.
Tell us you are nervous, and bring someone with you if sedation is an option.
12 Questions
Fear of the dentist in Greater Kailash 1, Delhi: questions patients ask
Is it normal to be afraid of the dentist?
Yes. Dental anxiety is common, and a 2024 review of 173 trials found that it is manageable and treatable.1
What is the difference between dental anxiety and dental phobia?
Dental phobia is an anxiety so strong that it may need an interdisciplinary approach, while ordinary dental anxiety can be managed by the dentist alone. Assessment uses a questionnaire and observation.2
Does CBT help with fear of the dentist?
Yes. Moderate-certainty evidence supports CBT for long-standing dental anxiety, and CBT for dental phobia has low-to-moderate certainty evidence.1
Does hypnosis work?
Moderate-certainty evidence supports hypnosis for easing anxiety during oral surgery.1
Do music or virtual reality help?
The 2024 review's evidence did not support music, virtual reality distraction or virtual reality exposure for easing anxiety, though they may still be pleasant.1
Can I have sedation?
Sedation is one option, and the Scottish guidance says to explore non-drug methods first.3 Ask which types the clinic can provide, and see our sedation page.
Does nitrous oxide work?
What if I have not been for years?
You are not alone, and it is fine to start with a conversation. Tell the team, and they will go at your pace.
Where can I find a dentist for anxious patients near me in South Delhi?
Orion Dental Clinic is a dentist for nervous patients in Greater Kailash 1 (GK 1), in the basement of E 75, Greater Kailash Enclave 1, opposite Anubhav Play School, with the entrance at Gate 1. Patients come for dental anxiety in Greater Kailash from Kailash Colony, CR Park, Nehru Place, Lajpat Nagar, Defence Colony and South Extension. Call or message us on WhatsApp to book an appointment.
13 Second opinion
Afraid of the dentist, and not sure where to start?
A consultation can be just a conversation: you tell us what frightens you, and we tell you what could help, before anything is done. The dentist will explain the options, including methods without drugs, and which the clinic can provide. There is no form to fill in: message us on WhatsApp or call, and we will find a time that suits you.
14 Related
Related treatments and guides
Sedation Dentistry
Read this for the types of sedation and how they work.
Pediatric Dentistry
Read this for helping a nervous child.
Tooth pain
Read this if fear has delayed seeing a painful tooth.
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Sources (5)
- Steenen SA, Linke F, van Westrhenen R, de Jongh A. Interventions to reduce adult state anxiety, dental trait anxiety, and dental phobia: a systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 2024;105:102891. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38945067/
- Burklein S, Brodowski C, Fliegel E, Johren HP, Enkling N. Recognizing and differentiating dental anxiety from dental phobia in adults: a systematic review based on the German guideline Dental anxiety in adults. Quintessence International, 2021;52:360-373. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33491392/
- Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness Programme. Conscious sedation in dentistry: dental clinical guidance, third edition. SDCEP, June 2017. Scottish guidance. www.sdcep.org.uk/media/iegenn4c/sdcep-conscious-sedation-guidance.pdf
- Melini M, Forni A, Cavallin F, Parotto M, Zanette G. Conscious sedation for the management of dental anxiety in third molar extraction surgery: a systematic review. BMC Oral Health, 2020;20(1):155. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32466796/
- Rossit M, Gil-Manich V, Ribera-Uribe JM. Success rate of nitrous oxide-oxygen procedural sedation in dental patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, 2021;21(6):527-545. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34909471/
This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a substitute for an examination, and results vary between patients.