Who treats you
Dr. med. dent. M.Sc. Sandro Strößner and a team attuned to anxious patients; sedation (twilight sleep) and general anaesthesia with a cooperating anaesthesia team on our premises.
First Appointment
A get-to-know-you conversation with no treatment. You talk, we listen; an examination only takes place if you want one.
Costs
Before every treatment, you receive a written treatment and cost plan showing your own contribution; patients with statutory and private health insurance are treated equally.
First Step
Without a phone call: online (“Appointment” button) or by email. By phone: 03443 339 65 54.
“Our Zahnkompetenzzentrum is about 40 minutes by car (A9) south-west of Leipzig and has its own surgical room with monitoring and a specialist anaesthetist who cooperates with us on a permanent basis.”
Cone-beam CT scan, intraoral scans, structured assessment. The first appointment isn't treatment — it's a conversation backed by data.
Talk to us about what has weighed on you so much during previous dental visits. We shape the process around it: no blame, no pressure, no surprises. You are in control.
Short videos in which our team answers the questions we're asked most often. No jargon, no sales pressure.
The videos provide general information and do not replace individual advice or examination. The course and outcome of treatment depend on personal circumstances; medicine offers no guarantee of success. All videos have subtitles.
There are appointments that get put off for months on end. The note with the phone number sits within easy reach, yet the call never gets made. You tell yourself it is just not a good moment, that the pain is already easing, that next week will suit better. Anyone who knows this feeling knows: behind the procrastination is rarely laziness, but usually a very real, unsettling feeling. If you are reading these lines, you have probably had exactly this kind of experience – and that alone is a quiet, courageous first step.
That is why we want to say something to you right at the start: fear of dental treatment is neither rare nor a flaw. Very many people carry it with them, in Leipzig as everywhere else. Some feel only a slight knot in their stomach, while others feel genuine distress at the mere thought of the smell of a waiting room. Both are understandable, and both are allowed. With us, you never have to justify yourself – not for your fear, and not for how long it has been since your last visit.
The Zahnkompetenzzentrum Dr. med. dent. M.Sc. Sandro Strößner is not located in the bustle of Leipzig, but in Weißenfels – about 40 minutes by car (A9) south-west of the city. This page explains the gentle approaches you can expect with us.
Anxiety and haste reinforce each other. If you are already tense, heavy traffic or a nervous search for a parking space can weigh on you even more. This is exactly where our understanding of anxiety-sensitive treatment comes in: it does not begin in the treatment chair, but with the atmosphere in which you arrive.
In the following sections, we want to show you honestly and without embellishment what to expect from us: where dental anxiety can come from, how we deal with it, what treatment options are available – from local anaesthetic, through sedation, to treatment under general anaesthesia – and how the first, entirely non-binding contact works. In the end, you should be able to decide for yourself whether this is the right path for you. Without pressure, at your own pace.
Understanding Anxiety
Fear is often wiser than we give it credit for. It is not a sign of weakness, but an ancient protective mechanism designed to keep us safe from danger. When the body classifies a situation as threatening, it switches to alarm mode within seconds: the heart beats faster, the muscles tense, breathing becomes shallower, and attention narrows. This response happens largely automatically – you do not consciously control it, and this is exactly what makes it so hard for many people to manage. Knowing that these are normal bodily processes, and not a personal failing, can already be a first step towards relief.
The mouth is a particularly sensitive area. It is one of the most intimate parts of our body – it is where we speak, taste and breathe, and where we can quickly feel exposed. Giving up control in the dentist's chair, leaning your head back, keeping your mouth open and being unable to intervene: for many people, it is precisely this feeling of helplessness that feeds the fear – often even more than the worry about possible pain.
The roots of this are as varied as people themselves. There is rarely just a single cause; usually several factors come together. These triggers often play a role:
For some people, the fear is so strong that professionals speak of dental treatment phobia (dental phobia). In such cases, appointments are consistently avoided for years – not out of carelessness, but because the thought of it simply feels unbearable. This often creates a distressing cycle: avoidance brings short-term relief but allows the fear to grow in the long run, while concern about the state of the teeth builds up in the background. Many people are aware of this mechanism and still cannot break out of it on their own. That is entirely human – and it helps to know that there are gentle ways to break this cycle.
What helps in such moments is not being told to pull yourself together. What helps is the feeling that you are allowed to stay in control: being able to pause at any time, set the pace, ask questions, say no. When your fear senses that there is a way out and that nothing happens against your will, it often already loses some of its power. It is exactly this feeling of safety and self-determination that we want to give back to you.
How We Treat You
With us, it does not begin with a drill, but with a conversation. Before we talk about your teeth, we want to understand you: what worries you? What experiences have you had? What would help you feel a little safer? For us, this listening is the foundation for everything that follows. Because anyone who feels understood finds it easier to let go.
Trust cannot be forced or rushed – it grows.
Many people who come to us for the first time have not been inside a dentist's practice for years. This is often accompanied by a sense of shame – about supposedly neglected teeth, about the long gap, about the fear itself. We want this feeling to ease as quickly as possible with us. No one is judged here. Simply engaging with this topic at all is a big step, and that is exactly how we treat it.
Our aim is not to talk you into anything. Our aim is to find a way together that you feel comfortable with – one that suits your situation, your concerns and your wishes. For some, that means calm treatment while awake with local anaesthesia. For others, sedation (twilight sleep), of which they are barely aware. And for others still, treatment under general anaesthesia. We never decide over your head what is right for you.
The fact that the practice is located outside the big city supports this. The atmosphere here is calmer. For people from Leipzig who are already tense on the way here, this very calm can be a valuable part of the treatment.
Your Routes
There is no single right way for everyone, but several approaches that we can combine depending on your anxiety and the extent of treatment needed. We proceed in stages – as gently as possible and only as extensively as necessary for you. You do not need to decide anything today; we will discuss the options calmly and choose together.
The most important first step is simply a conversation, without any treatment at all. Becoming familiar with the rooms, the faces and the routines alone can ease a surprising amount of tension. When you feel ready, we begin with small, manageable steps. A carefully and gently administered local anaesthetic ensures that the treated area, as a rule, becomes insensitive to pain, while you remain awake and responsive.
Local anaesthetic is the basis of almost every dental treatment. It specifically switches off pain sensation exactly where work is being done, while you remain conscious throughout. For people who are afraid of injections, we make this moment particularly gentle: we announce every step, work calmly and give you time. Good local anaesthetic is generally an important part of treatment under sedation too, so that you feel as little pain as possible during treatment.
With sedation – often called twilight sleep – you are given calming medication intravenously, putting you into a state of deep calm. Many people then experience the treatment as if from a distance, or barely remember it afterwards. Unlike with general anaesthesia, you breathe on your own and remain, in principle, responsive. Sedation is particularly suitable when anxiety is significant but general anaesthesia is not necessary or wanted, or when more extensive treatment is planned. You are continuously monitored throughout the sedation.
Under general anaesthesia, you sleep deeply and are unaware of the procedure itself. It can be the right approach for very pronounced anxiety, very extensive treatment, a strong gag reflex, or when several steps are to be completed in a single session wherever possible. General anaesthesia is administered exclusively by qualified medical anaesthesia staff and closely monitored throughout. Whether it is suitable for you depends on your health, the planned procedure, and a careful preliminary examination – we clarify this conscientiously in advance.
Please note: nitrous oxide is deliberately not part of what we offer. We rely on the well-controllable methods described above, which we tailor individually to you and to the scope of your treatment. Which approach is right cannot be stated in general terms – it depends on how strong your anxiety is, the scope of treatment, your health and, not least, your personal feelings. We explain the advantages and disadvantages of each option openly and decide together with you.
Many people put off visiting the dentist for years out of fear — and you are not alone in this. This short self-test gives you an honest initial assessment.
This self-test is intended purely as an initial guide. It does not replace a personal conversation or a dental diagnosis. Your answers never leave your device.
The First Step
Often the first step is the hardest – simply the decision to get in touch at all. To make this easier, we would like to show you exactly what to expect. Because what is predictable loses much of its power to frighten. You should know what you are getting into before you even set foot in the practice. At the initial introductory appointment, no treatment takes place as a rule, unless you expressly wish it to.
See this initial contact as your opportunity to get to know us and find out whether we are the right fit. Trust is the foundation of everything – and it is allowed to grow at its own pace.
Shape the first contact entirely around your own needs. If it helps to bring someone you trust along on the journey from Leipzig to be by your side, they are of course welcome to join you. If certain sounds, smells, or situations are particularly difficult for you, let us know – we will take that into account. And if you would like to clarify questions before setting off, please feel free to call us. You do not have to meet any particular expectation. The only measure that matters is that you feel as comfortable as possible.
Safety First
If you are considering sedation or general anaesthesia, it is only natural that questions about safety arise. That is a good thing – and we are happy to answer them in detail. With all procedures that go beyond local anaesthesia, safety is the priority. Nobody is simply “put to sleep”. Every step follows a carefully planned process, which is discussed with you in advance.
A detailed preliminary consultation always precedes any sedation or general anaesthesia. During this, we record your medical history, any existing conditions, allergies and all medications you are taking. This information is important so that the procedure can be tailored to you individually. Please be open and thorough here – every piece of information helps to make your treatment as safe as possible.
General anaesthesia and deeper sedation belong in the hands of specialists who focus exclusively on this. While the dental team takes care of your teeth, specialised medical anaesthesia staff watch over your sleep, your breathing and your circulation. This ensures that someone devotes their undivided attention solely to your wellbeing throughout the procedure.
Throughout the entire treatment, your most important bodily functions are continuously monitored using modern technology. These generally include:
These readings are monitored continuously, so that we can respond immediately to any changes at any time. Provision is also made for unforeseen situations: emergency equipment and correspondingly trained staff are, of course, in place. After the procedure, you remain under observation until you are awake and stable again, and we can confidently hand you over into the care of your companion.
We want you to feel completely looked after. If you have further questions about safety, please do ask them. No detail is too small to discuss.
Well Prepared
Treatment under sedation or general anaesthesia can be prepared for well – and the better prepared you are, the more relaxed the day will be. We will, of course, go through the following points with you again in person and individually before your appointment. This overview is meant to help you get a picture in advance, especially if you are travelling from Leipzig for your appointment and want to plan the day accordingly.
You must be fasting before sedation or general anaesthesia. This means you must not eat or drink anything for a fixed period before the procedure. We will let you know the exact times in good time before your appointment. Please be sure to follow this – fasting is an important safety measure. Smoking and chewing gum should also be avoided during this period.
After sedation or anaesthesia, you must not drive, cycle, or operate machinery for 24 hours. The medication continues to have an effect for a while, even if you personally feel fit again well before then. This applies particularly if you are coming from the Leipzig area: be sure to arrange an adult companion who can take you home safely and, ideally, stay with you for the first few hours. For safety reasons, treatment under anaesthesia cannot take place without a companion.
Some people avoid the dentist for so long that several teeth eventually need attention at once. For anxious patients, the thought of having to get through many separate appointments for this is often barely bearable – especially since each appointment would mean travelling from Leipzig again. This is where treatment under sedation or general anaesthesia offers a major advantage: several necessary steps can, provided the findings and your health allow it, be combined into a single session.
This means you do not have to keep summoning up courage and coping with tension again and again. Instead of many individual appointments, each one bringing fear and each one requiring a journey, comprehensive treatment can take place within a protected setting – and you wake up once the essential work has already been done. Whether, and to what extent, this is sensible and possible in your case depends on the diagnosis, the planned scope of treatment, and your state of health. We plan this together, carefully.
The costs of anxiety-sensitive treatment consist of the actual dental care and – depending on the chosen approach – the costs of sedation or general anaesthesia. For patients with statutory health insurance, dental services are billed within the scope of the insurer's catalogue of benefits; for higher-quality restorations, an out-of-pocket share may apply. The costs of sedation (twilight sleep) or general anaesthesia are, in many cases, private services and are not automatically borne by statutory health insurance – in certain medically justified situations, however, cost coverage may be possible. We check together with you whether this applies in your case. Before treatment begins, you receive a clear, written cost plan. Privately insured patients and those entitled to Beihilfe (civil-service allowance) should clarify the extent of reimbursement with their insurer in advance. Please feel free to ask us – we will explain the individual items calmly and without technical terms.
The Zahnkompetenzzentrum Dr. med. dent. M.Sc. Sandro Strößner is here for you in Weißenfels – about 40 minutes by car (A9) from Leipzig. If you would like to take the first step, you can reach us on 03443 / 339 65 54. You are welcome to tell us that you are anxious – that is exactly what we are here for.
Our Zahnkompetenzzentrum is located about 40 minutes by car (A9) south-west of Leipzig and has its own surgical room with monitoring, as well as a specialist anaesthetist with whom we cooperate on a permanent basis.
The concept: you do not have to be treated step by step over many scattered appointments; instead – if you wish and provided your findings and health allow – you can receive your complete rehabilitation in a single session under general anaesthesia. If you would like to be treated while awake, you are given an agreed signal: raise your hand and we stop.
What convinced me was the absence of marketing. No promises. Just planning, explanation, execution. I had eight implants placed and didn't even feel like I'd made a difficult decision.
At the Zahnkompetenzzentrum
Sedation & General Anaesthesia
Personal Care
Comprehensive restoration: planning, stages, costs
All Services at a Glance
On the Practice Website
Appointments, duration, costs: your path with us
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