See the full list of this year’s Top Dentists
As a dentist who specializes in endodontics and completes about 1,000 root canals a year, Dr. Alan Law is used to having anxious patients in his dental chair. He knows that some people are nervous about their upcoming procedure, while others struggle with fear and anxiety every time they go to the dentist, even for routine cleanings. For many, this anxiety can stand in the way of getting important care and critical procedures that could impact their overall health.
It’s quite common to have dental anxiety—about 36 percent of people experience this fear. Individuals have many reasons for being nervous, but there is no need to suffer in silence, says Law, who practices at The Dental Specialists in Woodbury and has researched and written extensively about dental-related pain and anxiety. Well aware that patients of all ages are anxious about dental care, dentists have a multitude of ways to help.
“I firmly believe there is no substitute for good communication—the dentist listening to the patient and the patient being comfortable describing what makes them nervous so that the dentist can help,” Law says. “I understand that a lot of people are nervous. I’ll say to patients, ‘Let’s find out what is making you uncomfortable and anxious and find ways to address it.’”
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A big part of dentists’ work involves helping ease this anxiety. Key to doing that well is finding out the main causes of people’s fears. Dr. Charles McCann, a periodontist at Downtown Periodontics and Implant Dentistry in Minneapolis, finds that many patients get anxious about the unknown: What might they experience while receiving a crown or dental implant? Others feel deep worry about potentially experiencing pain or that the procedure won’t go well.
Negative childhood experiences—or even bad encounters as an adult—often also play a role. That might include times when a dentist did not get someone’s mouth numb enough or a procedure unexpectedly required a second visit. Some people get triggered by the lack of control over what is happening in their mouth, while others feel claustrophobic in the dental chair, Law says. It’s also common to get anxious from the sound of the dental drill or the smell and taste of dental materials.
Anxiety about going to the dentist also affects 9–20 percent of children. The fear of the unknown is a big cause of dental anxiety for kids, says Dr. Venetia Laganis, a pediatric dentist at Laganis Pediatric Dentistry in Maple Grove. “A lot of kids seem to exhibit some apprehension, and that fades with their teen years as they develop their reasoning skills,” Laganis says. “For others, it’s generalized anxiety that transfers to the dental office.”
Many kids feel vulnerable when tipped back in the dental chair or when a hygienist or dentist is working in their mouths. Some children associate going to the dentist with going to the doctor, where they recall encountering needles for vaccinations. That anxiety can be heightened in kids with medical conditions that require them to see a physician regularly.
“Young kids can be afraid because they don’t know what to expect,” Laganis says. “The dental office can be unfamiliar and intimidating for a child. It also can be sensory overload with the bright lights and loud noises.”
In some cases, kids have a parent with dental anxiety, and children pick up on that nervousness when it’s their turn at the dentist. In these cases, McCann suggests that the other parent or a loved one without anxiety take the child to their dental appointments.
Dentists have many tools and strategies for preventing and easing anxiety, regardless of a patient’s age. One way is to try to ward it off from the very start. With children, it’s critical to start bringing them to the dentist early and often. Then they get used to the environment, the staff, and the different steps of oral health care.
The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that parents bring their children to the dentist at the age of 1. These early visits help little ones get familiar with the dentist while also opening opportunities to educate parents, Laganis says.
During initial visits, dentists will check the child’s teeth, enamel, and soft tissues and teach parents different ways to prevent tooth decay. They also will apply fluoride to strengthen baby teeth. Dentists recommend that parents establish a pattern of bringing in their children every six months. Each time, the dental team will try to do a bit more. As soon as the child can tolerate it—usually by around age 2 or so—they will ease into routine cleanings, Laganis says.
Getting children comfortable with dental care at a young age goes a long way toward warding off anxiety down the road. It also helps dentists catch small problems early, allowing them to do the least invasive treatment. For example, when dentists identify a cavity forming in a young child, they often can apply silver diamine fluoride to slow down the progression of tooth decay. That can allow a child to get older and be better equipped to handle a filling. Even better, the baby tooth may fall out before a filling is needed, or the treatment could eliminate the cavity altogether.
Without routine care, Laganis points out, “the risk is that if we have a smaller problem that goes undiagnosed, it will continue until it becomes a bigger problem,” Laganis says. “Then we have an anxious patient who has an infection or severe pain.”
Similarly, adults who get in the habit of regular cleanings also have a chance to not only work on easing anxiety associated with the clinic experience but also potentially help ward off more serious dental issues.
Dentists are also focusing on how the clinic environment can have a more positive impact on the patient experience. McCann’s clinic, for example, occasionally relies on aromatherapy and candles to help create a more soothing ambience that can relieve stress for patients. He also plans his schedule so that patients are quickly brought back to the treatment area so their anxiety isn’t heightened while waiting.
Laganis welcomes and distracts kids with brightly colored, playful décor, books, and toys. Her team also uses an approach called tell-show-do, where they first explain to children what they are going to do in age-appropriate language. Next, they show them what they will be doing, and then they complete that step.
“That reduces the fear of the unknown,” she says. “We also use positive reinforcement and praise them for their cooperation and use distraction techniques like storytelling or humor to ease their anxiety. We don’t like to rush the kids—we take time to proceed slowly and gently and allow the kids to take breaks.”
Laganis also notes that it’s very important for parents to be calm, supportive, and positive about dental visits and avoid sharing their own negative experiences. Another suggestion she has for reducing anxiety is to refrain from threatening dental visits for not brushing and flossing.
For people of all ages, having other sensory input often helps ease their fears. A neck pillow, blanket, or lead apron can help calm nervous patients, Law says. He also encourages people to bring in headphones so that they can listen to music or a podcast of their choice.
Other effective distractions are fidget spinners and stress balls to give patients something to do during appointments. In addition, McCann encourages anxious people to try calming techniques like deep breathing or guided imagery.
When Law knows that people are nervous, he works with patients to develop a signal to use if they need a break or more anesthetic. That often relieves patient anxiety by providing an increased sense of control.
For people who are highly anxious, dentists can turn to pharmacological support like nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to calm their nerves. There also are oral sedatives like Valium that patients can use to take the edge off and IV sedation for those who want to be in a sleeplike state to get through a procedure, McCann says. The concern with IV sedation, though, is that people then need someone to drive them home after their appointment.
The best news for those with dental anxiety—and all patients, for that matter: Advancements in materials and techniques are helping shorten treatments and improve pain management. Law’s patients frequently comment that the root canal wasn’t as bad as they expected. That’s because diagnostics like 3D cone-beam CT scans help endodontists to better visualize the tooth, which allows them to be more thorough and efficient in cleaning out the infected root.
McCann, whose practice is mainly devoted to doing dental implants, has found that better anesthetics have vastly improved the patient experience, including thinner needles and numbing topicals before injections. The process of putting in the implant has become more streamlined, as well. It used to take an hour but now takes about 20 minutes. These shorter visits are better for everyone—but especially for people with anxiety.
In the future, other advancements may also help, including anesthetics that are inhaled instead of delivered by needle, Law says. Some dentists also have started using lasers to expedite procedures, reshape gums, do biopsies, and remove cavities or infected tissue.
No matter what the reason is behind a dental visit—from a cleaning to a complex procedure—putting patients at ease all starts with communication: conversations about what will occur in the procedure and why, a sense of how long it might take, and what healing and next steps might look like. McCann encourages people to ask as many questions as they need before the procedure and then takes breaks to check in on how they are doing.
“The more the patient knows, the more at ease they will be,” McCann says. “It’s also important for dentists to have empathy and understanding, acknowledge how patients are feeling, and tell them that it’s perfectly OK, normal, and acceptable to feel nervous.”
The 2024 Top Dentists List: The Process
See the full list of this year’s Top Dentists
Oral health can affect not only how we feel and function on the inside but also how confidently we face the world outside. No wonder we attach such importance to choosing the right professional for everything from routine checkups to specialized care and services. The following list contains approximately 10 percent of active dentists in the 10-county metro area. Dentists pass through a multistep process before their names appear here.
As you can imagine, research is essential. We started by asking Twin Cities dentists to nominate other dentists they consider to be exceptional in the field—peers they would consult if they were seeking care. From there, we grouped candidates into specialties and evaluated myriad factors, including (but not limited to) peer recognition, professional achievement, and disciplinary history. Dentists who amassed the highest scores from each grouping were invited to serve on a blue-ribbon panel to evaluate the other candidates. At the end of this process, we selected Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s 2024 Top Dentists, picking only dentists who had acquired the highest point totals from the surveys, research, and blue-ribbon panel review. (Dentists with a * symbol by their entries are ones who offer cosmetic dentistry procedures.)
Of course, no list is perfect. Many local dentists who provide excellent care may have missed this year’s list. We also cannot guarantee that all dentists listed here are available for new patient visits. However, if you’re looking for exceptional dentists who have earned the confidence and high regard of their peers, you can start your search here.
In addition to our local list, this year’s class of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine Top Dentists will join a prestigious group of colleagues, Super Dentists®, from areas around the country. That full list appears at superdentists.com.
Finally, it’s important to note that there is a strict separation between our list and the advertising that appears in this publication. Advertising has no bearing on the names found here. For more information on research and methodology, please go to superdentists.com.
© MSP Communications 2024 Super Dentists® is a registered trademark of MSP Communications. All rights reserved. Disclaimer: The information presented is not medical advice, nor is Super Dentists a dental care referral service. We strive to maintain a high degree of accuracy in the information provided. We make no claim, promise, or guarantee about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained in the directory. Selecting a dental care provider is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertising. Super Dentists is the name of a publication, not a title or moniker conferred upon individual dentists. No representation is made that the quality of services provided by the dentists listed will be greater than that of other licensed dentists, and past results do not guarantee future success. Super Dentists is an independent publisher that has developed its own selection methodology; it is not affiliated with any federal, state, or regulatory body. Self-designated practice specialties listed in Super Dentists do not imply “recognition” or “endorsement” of any dental specialty certification board, or that the dentist has been trained or has special competence to practice in that area. List research concluded November 9, 2023.