Dental anxiety is very common and often leads to people avoiding important dental visits to protect their teeth. It is important to take the steps to overcome your dental anxiety to ensure that you can obtain the services that you need to enhance the health of your teeth. Dental anxiety tends to have a snowball effect. When you avoid the dentist, you will likely develop oral health problems. Having these problems resolved tends to be far less comfortable than regular cleanings, which can lead to an escalation of dental anxiety.
What is Dental Anxiety?
Dental anxiety is a fear that surfaces when it comes to visiting the dentist. This fear is not necessarily irrational, especially if the individual had negative past experiences, but it can cause a person to avoid the dentist. This can lead to serious oral health problems. Understanding your emotions and determining if you have dental anxiety can help ensure that you take the right steps to protect the health of your teeth.
Talk to your Dentist
Many dentists are familiar with dealing with patients that have dental anxiety. When you talk to your dentist or their staff, they will be able to provide reassurance and support throughout your dental visit. If they are unaware of your dental anxiety, they will be unable to take the right steps to help you throughout the process.
Learn About the Procedure
Many anxious feelings are a result of not understanding the specific dental process. By doing your research prior to the procedure, you can arm yourself with the appropriate knowledge. It can also be extremely helpful to ask your dentist to explain each step of the process to you. This often helps to ensure that you experience less fear regarding the dental procedure you are obtaining.
Ask About Medications or Relaxation Assistance
Many dentists offer various sedation methods or anxiety medications to help you to obtain the services that you need for your dental visit. Ask your dentist for the availability of specific assistance to manage your dental anxiety.
Find a Dentist you’re Comfortable With
Various people have various personalities. When personalities conflict, it is unlikely to result in a pleasant, relaxing experience. It is important to ensure that you get along with your dentist. This can help to ensure that you feel far more comfortable and at ease throughout the process. It can help you to find an effective dentist when you ask your loved ones for recommendations.
Establish a Safe Word or Hand Signal
It is important to be able to communicate effectively with your dentist. When you are unable to communicate, it is highly likely that you will feel helpless and anxious during your dental visit. Devise a method before your procedure for communicating with your dentist. This will help them to know when you are feeling anxious or in need of a break. Ensuring that you are able to communicate effectively often helps you to feel in much more control over the dental process.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Understanding how to relax and control feelings of anxiety will often help during your dental visit. It is beneficial to practice these techniques in advance in order to allow you to implement them during your dental visit. A few effective relaxation techniques include breathing strategies and meditation. These will help you to stay relaxed during your dental procedure.
Prevent Oral Health Problems
It is critical to protect the health of your teeth and ensure that they remain in great condition. When you have an oral health issue, it will require more substantial dental work to have the issue resolved. This is often uncomfortable and can even be painful. In many situations, this simply causes an escalation to your dental phobia. Fluoride-based products, such as mouthwash or toothpaste, can help to strengthen your teeth. It is important to implement a good oral hygiene routine. This means that you need to brush your teeth twice a day for at least two minutes. You also need to floss daily and obtain regular dental cleanings.
Bring a Loved One
Tackling something that frightens you often feels far easier when you accomplish it with someone that you trust. Bringing a companion to your dental visit can help to reduce your anxiety. It is important to ensure that the individual that you bring will be able to remain calm, as well as help to keep you calm throughout your dental visit. Whether you bring a close friend or a relative, they will likely be able to ensure that you are far more relaxed during your dental procedure.
Distract Yourself
Implementing effective distractions can go a long way toward preventing you from becoming anxious during your dental visit. You may want to consider bringing your headphones in order to listen to music or audiobooks. This can be an effective distraction that will reduce your high levels of anxiety.
Avoid Caffeine
If you are already feeling anxious, it is likely that caffeine will simply exacerbate your anxiety. It is important to ensure that you avoid caffeine before your dental visit. This can help you to remain calm and prevent the likelihood of jittery feelings.
Identify the Cause
Consider your past experiences with the dentist. Sometimes people develop dental anxiety as a reaction to a negative dental experience. Others are overwhelmed by not understanding how a specific dental procedure may work. Determining the underlying cause of your dental anxiety helps you to implement effective procedures for handling your fear.
Our dedicated team is capable of ensuring that your teeth stay in good health and that you obtain a superior dental experience. Here at Mount Ogden Dental, we are skilled about ensuring that you are more comfortable and are able to protect the health of your teeth. If you are feeling unduly anxious about your upcoming dental visit, it can be helpful to consult with our office. We can provide you with more information regarding valuable techniques to control your dental anxiety. To learn more about this, contact our office at Mount Ogden Dental today!
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