A dental clinic in Ogawamachi | Hamille Tokyo Ogawamachi
Your first visit
Will it hurt? Is the dentist skilled? So many worries
The unknown can feel unsettling. That’s why we want you to know what to expect before your visit.
Pain and fear around dental treatment
The most common impression is that going to the dentist is “painful” and ”frightening”. Where does this impression come from?
Why does it hurt?
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The nerve is what senses pain
When you notice pain, the infection has usually already reached close to the nerve, or the nerve itself.
Because the nerve is very sensitive, if the anesthetic doesn’t work well, you may feel pain during treatment. -
It hurts without anesthetic
While the anesthetic is working, you won’t feel pain.
But once it wears off, the pain from the treated area returns and continues until it heals, so even if you felt no pain during treatment itself, you may still be left with the impression that it “hurt.” -
Waiting until it hurts is too late
Another reason is that many people think of the dentist as somewhere to go once a tooth hurts.
Tooth decay generally can’t be removed without drilling. Likely reasons are that drilling hurts, and that many people have a strong impression that the anesthetic used to ease that pain hurts too.
Why is it frightening?
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It’s scary because it hurts
A toothache can be hard to bear. Nobody likes pain, and anyone would find it frightening.
But being afraid of the dentist because it hurts, and then going only after tooth decay has started to hurt, doesn’t make sense. -
The anesthetic and the drill (turbine) are frightening
Of course, the thought of a needle in your mouth is scary, and we understand that a loud instrument inside it can be scary too. If these things scare you, it’s all the more important to make regular visits to the dentist and look after your teeth to prevent tooth decay as much as you can.
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The dentist and staff can be frightening
Dental clinics are busier than you might imagine. That leaves staff little time to be attentive to patients, and we often hear of bad service.
Some dentists may also come across as intimidating because they’re earnest about treating illness, and we often hear of dentists pressing ahead with treatment without enough explanation, which is frightening.
The special steps Hamille takes
So it “doesn’t hurt”
Nothing makes us happier than hearing “That went well”
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Thorough attention to detail
We pay close attention to whether you’re feeling any pain and check in with you throughout, so you won’t be left thinking, “It hurt so much I could barely stand it, but I couldn’t say so.”
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High-level skill, without relying on machines
For patients who find anesthetic doesn’t work well on them, or who are sensitive to pain, we’ve learned techniques such as topical anesthetic and ways of giving anesthetic that cause little pain to begin with, so that even children who struggle with pain tell us, “That was fine.”
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Treatment aimed at keeping your teeth
Our treatment policy is no pain, no drilling and no extraction. We don’t provide unnecessary treatment, and we focus on preventive dentistry. We look for and suggest ways to keep your own teeth wherever possible.
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Our focus on prevention
We do provide treatment, of course, but a dentist’s true role is preventive dentistry. In other words, the dentist is a place you visit so you don’t get tooth decay. We believe that as this idea spreads, the image of the dentist as “painful” will disappear: no need to drill ⇒ no need for anesthetic ⇒ no painful symptoms.
So it “isn’t frightening”
“I can go to the dentist now! I want to keep coming!” That’s how we want you to feel.
Hamille helps you lead a full, happy life.
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Keeping pain to a minimum
Even people who dislike the dentist can come in without feeling pain. With treatment of that high standard, we’ll dispel the misconception that the dentist is frightening because it hurts.
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Preventing tooth decay
We explain where the cause lies and what should be done, use photos of the inside of your mouth, and do all we can to keep you from getting tooth decay. The best solution is prevention, so that there is no need for frightening “treatment.”
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Aiming to be a dental clinic full of smiles
Because patients come to the dentist feeling anxious, we make a point of greeting you with a smile, and we hold regular training sessions and seminars, working to be the most pleasant, easiest-to-visit dental clinic anywhere. We also provide ongoing instruction and training so that our explanations are thorough and we agree on a plan with you, and we’re well regarded as a clinic where patients receive treatment they understand and agree to.
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With Hamille, there’s nothing to fear
Not knowing something can sometimes make it frightening. To show you that there’s nothing to fear, we value communication and are open with you about everything, so that the dentist feels at least a little less frightening.
A dental clinic in Ogawamachi | Hamille Tokyo Ogawamachi
Things to know before your first visit
- 1 By appointment only
- We can’t see walk-in patients. Please book by phone or online.
- 2 Bring your insurance card
- You can still be seen without your insurance card, but you will need to pay the full cost yourself. We need to see it at least once a month, so please show your insurance card at reception. If your My Number Card has been set up to work as your health insurance card, you can have it scanned instead.
- 3 A first visit costs about 4,000 yen
- This is an estimate covering the first-visit fee, X-ray and examination fees for patients who pay 30% under health insurance. Beyond that, the cost varies with the examinations and treatment carried out on the day. Tartar removal or cavity treatment costs extra.
- 4 We accept cash, cards, transit IC cards, PayPay and more
- If you choose self-pay treatment, you can also use payment options with lower monthly costs, such as a dental loan.
- 5 In pain right now and need to be seen straight away
- Patients with appointments come first, but so that we can relieve this kind of pain as soon as possible, we take emergency patients as they come in. If you can wait, we can see you the same day. Please call the clinic first.
- 6 There is a limit to what we can do in one visit
- You may wonder why everything can’t be finished in a single visit, but we have to follow the time periods set by the health insurance billing rules.
- 7 Please arrive about 15 minutes before your appointment
- You’ll fill out a medical questionnaire and register, and we’ll explain a few things, so please give yourself time and plan to arrive about 15 minutes before your appointment.
- 8 You can also change your dentist
- At clinics with several dentists, you can change your dentist or ask for a specific one. If you’d prefer a female dentist or would like another dentist’s opinion, just let us know. * Popular dentists may be harder to book.
- 9 (Main clinic only) Using the childcare room
- When you book, please tell the person taking your booking that you’d like to use the childcare room.
- 10 More questions
- If you have any other questions, please contact us. If you’re busy, you can also send a written inquiry through our website (please select the clinic you’d like to visit). We’ll reply by the next day the clinic is open.