How To Combat Dental Anxiety?

Do you feel overwhelmed when you visit a dental clinic? You are not alone. A lot of people suffer from dental anxiety. Perhaps you fear that a dental procedure will cause too much pain or feel embarrassed or scared of what your dentist may discover. Sadly, the more you delay your dentist appointment, the worse your condition will get. 

Despite the fear of dental procedures, most people smile and tolerate their annual dentist appointments since they are typically pleasant. Generally, the staff and doctors are kind and concerned about the patient’s well-being. Any discomfort they may feel is uncommon and can be controlled with anesthetics. And knowing that frequent dentist appointments are a crucial aspect of staying healthy is worth putting up with a little discomfort. 

However, if you are someone who is unable to overcome anxiety, we have a few simple tips for you. 

Before we jump on to that, let’s first understand why it is important to combat your dental anxiety. 

Dental Anxiety Affects Your Health

A man who has a fear of drowning does not go to the beach for a vacation. Anyone who is scared of anything will do everything in their power to avoid it. Just like that, if someone suffers from dental anxiety they will try and avoid visiting a dental clinic. A study estimates that about 35 million Americans avoid going to a dentist. Isn’t the number baffling? 

This will only affect the health of your teeth and your overall wellness. Avoiding is never a solution which is why it is apparent that you try and overcome your dental anxiety. Yes, it is much easier said than done. That is why we have some tips to help you. 

#1 Recognize Your Fear

So, why do you get anxious to visit a dentist? 

The first step to overcoming your anxiety is to figure this out. Yes, begin by acknowledging it and working on the problem. Let’s consider and analyze the various reasons why you feel apprehensive sitting on a dental chair. 

Pain: One of the major reasons why people feel anxious is because they fear the pain. Many people assume that dental procedures are painful. Fortunately, that is not the case today. Due to modern techniques, most dental procedures are gentle and not that uncomfortable. 

Embarrassment: A big part of the population is insecure about their dental health. If you fall into this category, do not judge yourself. It is only normal to have such emotions. But don’t be embarrassed. Visit our clinic and our kind health professionals will take care of you without you having to feel embarrassed about your dental hygiene. 

Past Experience: It is unfortunate if you’ve had a poor experience with a dental clinic before. It is understandable for you to feel anxious about visiting another dental clinic. But don’t do this to yourself. Give Tara Hills Dental Clinic a chance. We will not disappoint. 

#2 Research About Your Dentist

Now that you’ve decided to visit a dental clinic, begin by finding the right dentist for you. Fear of going to a dentist is very common, let us help you overcome that through our gentle care and medical assistance. To learn more about our clinic and staff, click here. We are a team of dedicated health professionals with decades of experience in dentistry under our belts.

#3 Arrive a Little Early

A great way to calm your anxiety is by arriving a little early to your appointment. Rushing for your appointment at the last hour will only add to your stress. Book an appointment and plan to arrive early to give yourself some time to adjust to the idea. However, do not arrive too early also because the last thing you want to do is sit there and overthink everything.

It only helps to sit in the waiting area for a couple of minutes. Talk to the staff and ask them questions if you have any. This will help you feel calm and relaxed.

#4 Use Calming Techniques

Whenever you feel anxious, it is best to try calming and relaxing techniques. It is always beneficial for you to give yourself some time to get in the right mindset before the appointment. A lot of individuals do breathing exercises, stretching, and meditation to feel calm. Try that and see if that works for you.

#5 Talk to Your Dentist

There is nothing that cannot be resolved without communication. The fear and the anxiety you are feeling are because you wonder what is going to happen. You create various scenarios in your mind which cause you to feel anxiety. The solution to this is to eliminate all the variables and talk it out with your dentist.

Call us anytime and our doctors will assist in every manner possible. We are happy to help you with all your concerns and queries. So, feel free to ask us any questions you may have. If you are looking to get a big procedure done, you can ask us what type of sedative we are going to use. Just talk to us and we assure you that you will feel better.

#6 Talk to a Friend

Having the support of a friend will calm you down. You can have a relative or friend accompany you to the clinic. This will help you remain relaxed during the procedure. It doesn’t matter if you talk to the person or not. The mere presence of a friend in the clinic will give an immense sense of comfort and relief. You will feel safe around your friend. That is why we recommend you talk to our doctor. Once you talk to your health professional, a lot of your doubts will be solved and you will start trusting the doctor. This proves to be very helpful in overcoming anxiety.

#7 Take Medication

While this is the last solution we can offer as dentists. Some procedures are very important and if delayed will only cause more harm. So to avoid any more harm to your teeth in some cases we do prescribe anti-anxiety medications for dental procedures. But that is the last resort. We give this medication about an hour before the procedure. This calms the patient down and helps them feel relaxed and comfortable.

Final Words

A lot of people suffer from dental anxiety. Do you?

Fortunately, you can overcome dental anxiety. No matter what is holding you back, a trusted dental team can help you take care of your dental woes in time. Good thing is that you’ve landed at the right place.

The aforementioned tips will help you overcome anxiety. While you may think that it is all too much trouble to visit a dentist if you do not get regular dental care the problems will only worsen. Let us know if you have any concerns. For more information, you can call our clinic and talk to our doctors directly. We are always available to assist our patients.