Dental anxiety is common and usually makes people avoid dental appointments, which could have negative implications on their oral health. Missing a dental appointment when dealing with oral diseases can prolong the patient’s discomfort and worsen the problem.
Dentists are familiar with dental anxiety and phobias and have helped many patients. The key is to be completely honest with your dental professional. Patients can easily tell their dentist when they feel uneasy and why. If they cannot express their fears to the dentist, they would be better off with another dental professional. Patients suffering from dental anxiety can take the following steps to fight their fear of dental procedures.
Fear of the dentist or dental procedure has several origins, and it would be helpful for patients to know precisely what scares them about the visit. It could be the idea of injection for administering anesthesia, or worries that the dentist might be thrown off by the appearance of their dentition. Once the cause of anxiety is known, it will be easier to work on ways to deal with it, often with the dentist’s help.
If headphones and calming music are not available in the dental office, patients can bring along their music player and headphones. If the fear stems from hearing sounds of dental tools and the staff, listening to music during dental treatments can help drown out the noise and provide a soothing effect. The patient should keep the volume at a reasonable level to still be able to listen to the dentist’s directions,
Kids can carry their teddy bears or have their parents around to feel comfortable. For adults, a stress ball or relief item may be enough to keep them relaxed. They could squeeze the ball or rub the stone during their dental appointment.
Meditation may also help to deal with dental anxiety and make the dental procedure go a lot more easily. There are powerful meditation apps and websites that can help with meditation and relaxation. Additionally, meditation also helps to relieve stress.
If meditation does not work, visiting a happy place might. To relieve dental anxiety, patients can visualize one place in their life where they feel the calmest. It could be a park, beach, sunset or even someone that makes them happy. This may seem too simple, but taking the mind off an impending dental treatment and switching to positive thoughts may help.
Sedation dentistry is the final resort when all other methods are not effective for dental anxiety. With sedation, the dentist can help the patient relax during the procedure. Often, when the sedation wears off, the patient may have no recollection of the procedure. Sedation makes it easy for the dentist to complete multiple procedures in one appointment and ensure quicker solutions.
If you are dealing with dental anxiety, discuss with your dentist the different sedation options available and how they help calm your fear of dental procedures.
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