Choosing a dentist is one thing. Choosing a dentist when you have dental anxiety is something else entirely.
For most people, the criteria for a “good dentist” centre on competence and convenience. Are they qualified? Are they nearby? Can I get an appointment? Those things matter.
But for anxious patients — particularly those who have had bad experiences before, or who have been avoiding dental care for a long time — the criteria need to go deeper. Because what you need is not just a technically competent dentist. You need a dentist whose practice is genuinely set up to care for someone like you.
The five questions below give you a framework for assessing any practice. They apply whether you are looking at Sunny Dental Buderim or any other dentist on the Sunshine Coast or beyond.
And at the end, we will tell you how we answer each one ourselves.
Question 1: “How do you approach patients who are really nervous?”
This is the most important question, and it is the one that most people do not think to ask.
The reason to ask it directly is that you want to hear how the person actually thinks about anxious patients — not whether the website has a section called “Gentle Dentistry.”
What a good answer sounds like
A good answer is specific. It mentions things like:
- Longer appointment times for anxious patients
- A conversation before any examination begins
- A signal system (like raising your hand) that allows you to stop the procedure at any time
- A willingness to start slowly — even just talking, with no treatment at the first visit — if that is what is needed
- The team having experience with patients across the full spectrum of anxiety
A good answer also feels unhurried. The person answering is not trying to reassure you that it will be fine and move on. They are trying to understand your situation.
What a less good answer sounds like
Be cautious of answers that are very general (“we are patient and gentle with everyone”), that quickly pivot to treatment options (“we have sedation if you need it”), or that feel like they are reciting something from the website rather than describing how they actually work.
Gentleness and good intentions are not enough. You want structure — an actual approach, not just a temperament.
How Sunny Dental Buderim answers it
Every anxious patient appointment at our practice begins with a conversation. Before we examine, before we look in your mouth, we ask about your history and we listen.
Appointment times are deliberately longer for anxious patients. We use a hand signal that means stop immediately — no exceptions. And for patients who need it, the first appointment can be purely a conversation, with no clinical pressure at all.
Dr Louis George says it plainly: “I treat everyone how I would expect my mother to be treated — no rush and no shortcuts.” That is not a slogan. It is how the practice is scheduled. And Dr Jeremy Collins brings a naturally calming presence that anxious patients notice immediately — his unhurried manner and steady demeanour are part of the reason patients come back.
Question 2: “What sedation options do you offer, and who monitors me?”
If your anxiety is significant, sedation may be part of how you get through dental treatment. And if sedation is going to be part of your care, you want to understand both what options are available and what the safety arrangements are.
The first part of this question — what options are available — is worth asking because practices vary. Not all offer IV sedation. Not all offer happy gas. Knowing what is on the table helps you assess whether the practice can actually support your needs.
The second part — who monitors you — is the more important one.
What a good answer sounds like
A good answer explains both the sedation options and the clinical oversight clearly. For IV sedation specifically, you want to hear that the person monitoring you is clinically qualified — ideally a Registered Nurse — and that their role during the procedure is dedicated to patient monitoring, not divided between monitoring and assisting with the dental work.
You want to hear about vital sign monitoring: heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, respiratory rate. You want to hear that there is emergency preparedness in the practice.
What a less good answer sounds like
Be cautious if the monitoring question is answered vaguely, or if the answer implies that the dentist or dental nurse manages monitoring while simultaneously performing the procedure. This is not necessarily unsafe — it is how many practices operate — but it is worth understanding the arrangement and asking further questions.
How Sunny Dental Buderim answers it
We offer both nitrous oxide (happy gas) and IV sedation.
In every sedation appointment, Dwi George is present. Dwi is our Practice Manager and a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science degree. Her role during sedation is dedicated patient monitoring: vital signs throughout, airway management readiness, and clinical emergency preparedness.
The treating dentist — Dr Louis George or Dr Jeremy Collins — performs the dental procedure. Dwi’s entire attention is on you.
This level of clinical monitoring is not standard across dental practices. We think it should be, and it is the standard we hold ourselves to.
Read more about Dwi’s role and what dedicated RN monitoring involves
Question 3: “What happens if I need to stop mid-appointment?”
This question matters because control is central to dental anxiety for many people.
The fear of being trapped in the chair — of feeling like you cannot stop what is happening — is one of the most common features of dental anxiety. Knowing clearly, before the appointment, that stopping is genuinely an option changes the emotional experience of being in the chair.
It also tells you something about how the practice thinks about patient autonomy.
What a good answer sounds like
A good answer establishes a clear, agreed signal — typically raising a hand — and commits to stopping immediately when that signal is used. Not pausing. Not asking you to wait a moment. Stopping.
A good answer also makes clear that stopping is not treated as a failure or an inconvenience. It is a legitimate use of the agreed protocol, and it will be responded to without commentary or pressure to keep going.
What a less good answer sounds like
Any answer that introduces a “but” is worth scrutinising. “We will stop, but usually we can get through it if you just…” is not the same as a clear, unconditional stopping agreement.
How Sunny Dental Buderim answers it
We raise your hand, we stop. There is no “but.”
We will establish the signal before the appointment begins. We will check that you are comfortable with it and that it feels real — not like a formality that will be overridden in the moment.
Some patients need to use the signal once or twice during a first appointment before they internalise that it genuinely works. Once they know it works, the anxiety often decreases substantially.
Question 4: “Do you judge patients who haven’t been to the dentist in a long time?”
This question feels awkward to ask. Ask it anyway.
Fear of judgment is one of the primary reasons people avoid returning to the dentist after a long gap. If you have not been for five, ten, or twenty years, you have almost certainly imagined the look on a dentist’s face when they see the state of your teeth.
You need to know whether that fear is going to be realised or whether it will not.
What a good answer sounds like
A good answer is direct and unconditional. Something like: “We have seen every situation. We are not here to make you feel worse than you already do. We are here to help you from where you are now.”
A good answer also does not minimise the question by immediately pivoting to what needs to be done. The person answering understands that what you are really asking is whether it is emotionally safe to walk through the door.
What a less good answer sounds like
Watch for answers that quickly redirect to clinical reassurance — “whatever we find, we can fix it” — without actually addressing the judgment question. That might mean the practice has not thought carefully about this dimension of patient experience.
Also watch for answers that feel like performing empathy rather than actually having it.
How Sunny Dental Buderim answers it
We do not lecture. We do not sigh. We do not make comments about what should have been done sooner.
When someone tells us it has been ten years since their last visit, our response is: “Okay. Let’s start from here.”
We believe that the hardest part of coming back after a long gap is walking through the door. Everything after that is clinical — and the clinical part, we are very good at. The emotional part — feeling seen and not shamed — is something we take just as seriously.
Question 5: “Are you familiar with DVA and do you accept DVA patients?”
This question applies to veterans and current serving members, and to partners and family members accessing DVA benefits.
It is worth asking explicitly because there is a difference between a practice that technically accepts DVA patients and a practice that understands the DVA system, accepts it without friction, and does not leave you doing significant administrative work to access your entitlements.
What a good answer sounds like
A good answer confirms that the practice actively sees DVA patients, is familiar with what is covered, and will help you understand your entitlements before treatment begins.
A good answer from a practice with a military background often goes beyond process — there is a genuine understanding of the defence community, what service looks and feels like, and the particular dental challenges that can come from time in uniform.
What a less good answer sounds like
A vague “yes, we accept DVA” without any further context. It suggests the practice has DVA on a list of accepted payment types but may not be set up to navigate the system smoothly with you.
How Sunny Dental Buderim answers it
Dr George served in the Royal Navy. Dr Collins served in the Australian Army.
This practice is built to genuinely welcome the defence community — not as a courtesy, but because the people running it know what service means. DVA patients should ask us directly about their entitlements when booking. We will make sure you know what is covered before anything begins.
Using These Questions in Practice
You do not have to work through these questions in a formal interview. But having them in your mind — or even written down — when you call a practice gives you a way to assess whether you are talking to someone who understands what you need.
You are allowed to shop around. You are allowed to call two or three practices and get a feel for how each one responds. The phone call itself tells you a lot. Does the person who answers sound rushed? Are they interested in your question, or are they trying to get you off the phone and into a booking slot?
Trust your response to that initial interaction. Anxious patients are often very good at reading environments. Use that.
If You Want to Ask Us These Questions
We welcome it.
Call Sunny Dental Buderim on (07) 5445 8400. Ask us any of the questions above, or any others you have thought of. You do not have to commit to anything in order to have that conversation.
Our practice is at 2/64 King St, Buderim QLD 4556, and we serve patients from Maroochydore, Mooloolaba, Sippy Downs, Nambour, and across the Sunshine Coast. We are here for people who have been putting this off because they have not found the right practice yet.
If you would prefer to do some more reading first, our complete guide to dental care for anxious patients covers everything in one place — including sedation options, what a first visit looks like, and how we think about the care of patients who are nervous. You can also learn more on our anxious patients service page or reach out via our contact page.
All dental treatments carry risks. Outcomes vary between individuals. The information on this page is general in nature and does not replace personalised advice from a registered dental practitioner.