It’s always good to visit your dentist frequently. By doing that, you are ensuring that your health is in check, even when you think you are healthy and doing okay.
But for most people, fear, and anxiety can reduce the number of times that they go to see a dentist. And this phobia is so common that a survey done by Harvard showed that 13-24% of patients worldwide are anxious before visiting their dentist.
So, what can you do to counter this problem?
Read further to see how you can deal with this issue instantly. Some points we’ll state here are very practical.
Finding the root cause
Most patients become fearful because of a negative experience in the past. Sometimes, it could be friends or relatives who tell them of a bad experience they had in a recent visit.
Such situations create a negative mindset, causing fear or phobia, which is an anxiety disorder. In this case, the best way to handle this problem, if it becomes a phobia, is to get a clinical psychologist who will help you overcome the fear by doing exposure therapy or introducing some of the medication depending on your condition.
Book an appointment and relax
Most people have the habit of only going to a dentist when it’s necessary. But as you know, this should never be the case.
If you are fearful of what will happen in the examination room, try booking your appointment early and practicing different relaxation techniques. You can try to breathe in and out in a relaxed mode or try meditating.
And it’s always good to plan ahead. Clear the schedule for the day when you have the appointment to go home and relax after the procedure.
Ask a relative or friend to take you
Sometimes the best way to face your worst fears is to ask someone to take you to the dentist. By the way, dentists typically discourage the people who accompany patients and be present during the procedure.
The question now is, who should you pick?
Simple. Go for a relative that is courageous enough to tell you that everything is going to be okay. In fact, if you can go with someone that has been there, the better. Just make sure that you go with a positive minded individual.
And in conjunction with this, it’s also good to join online forums where people with dental anxiety issues talk about this. It can help you relax as you discuss with people who went through the same procedure as yours.
Distractions
Take advantage of the power of music. It’s food to the soul, and it can soothe you.
When going, carry your headphones. Put some soothing music, especially music that you are already familiar with. It will take away your attention from the fear unknowingly.
Fortunately, some doctors recognize how fearful a dental procedure can be. Such doctors will play some music in the background to soothe patients. Others will place the TV strategically. That’s in a position the patient can see some entertaining stuff as the procedure continues.
Ask the dentist to explain the procedure beforehand
One of the main reasons most patients are fearful is that they don’t know what will happen while in the room. So the fear escalates to the point they want to push the appointment to a later date.
You can deal with your fear by asking the dentist to explain the procedure before they start. Ask them what they will do so that you can. If you have the time, you can also consult your dentist before the day before the procedure.
Sedation, too, works
If you try all these techniques and find out that none is working, then the best is sedation. Some doctors will offer patients “laughing gas,” which is a great way to get you relaxed.
Alternatively, if the procedure is more extensive, the doctor may opt for local anesthesia, meaning you won’t be awake through the entire process.
Bonus tip:
Sometimes the choice of dentist matters. You have to do your homework before you choose one. And this time around, since you have anxiety issues, the choice of dentist matters.
It’s good to go for someone who has experience handling patients such as yourself, like This Indianapolis Dentist. Ensure that they have good reviews too, especially in the area of making sure that they make the patients feel comfortable before, during, and after the procedure.
Conclusion
It’s okay to feel anxious when going to the dentist. However, this is something that you can overcome if you put your mind to it. By the way, some research indicates that some patients experienced less pain than they had imagined before the procedure.
