Tips To Overcome Dental Anxiety

It is not uncommon for some individuals to be scared of the dentist. However, there are many different ways to remedy or alleviate dental anxiety. The key is to understand that if you are suffering from a dental phobia, it is very likely going to keep you from seeing your dentist regularly. Missing regular dental appointments will have a negative effect on your oral hygiene.

Tips To Help With Dental Anxiety

Here are a few tips that may assist you in trying to overcome dental anxiety:

1. Recognise The Issue

One of the first steps in dealing with a dental phobia is to accept the fact that there is some sort of fear keeping you from seeing your dentist. After you have recognised that you may have a reluctance to visit the dentist, you will be ready to examine the causes of that anxiety so you can determine what the actual problem is.

2. Keep Up Your Oral Hygiene Between Dental Check-ups

Treatment will become costly and more involved if you choose to skip dental visits because you are afraid of the dentist. By maintaining good oral habits like proper brushing and flossing, you will reduce the amount of work required by your dentist when you do have an appointment.

3. Have A Conversation

If your phobia is keeping you from regular dental visits, you may be able to ease the situation by talking about it with your dentist or dental office. You are not the first person they have met who may be scared of the dentist but need treatment. Your dentist will work with you on this.

4. Use Relaxation Techniques

A simple solution may be the need to be calm in the dental office. Fears and phobias are often the result of stresses and an effective way to reduce stress is with relaxation techniques. Meditation is one such technique that can have a positive effect on anxiety of all kinds.

5. Try Distraction Techniques

If your anxiety stems from the sounds you hear in the dental office, a simple trick may assist. See if your dentist will let you wear ear buds and listen to music or permit you to have ear plugs. These tools will help to keep your mind off what makes you afraid of the dentist.

Additional Ways To Overcome Dental Anxiety

If you have been able to pinpoint what is causing you to fear going to the dentist, there are many other ways to combat that phobia. Below are a number of the most common specific fears and suggestions on how to overcome your fear of them.

1. Sedation

Many fear sedation. Some feel that they will be awake enough to feel pain. Others are concerned that they will be too numb and may lose control. Modern dental offices use various types of techniques for sedation and a numbing cream or pen may be an option to explore.

2. Needles

No one likes to have a needle poked into their gum line, but it is a requirement for several dental procedures. However, with the use of a numbing gel or other similar product, you will not be able to feel the needle. Painless injections have eliminated many phobias over the years.

3. Dentist Drill

Often the dental fear that comes from the drill has little to do with the actual feeling of the appliance. The sound of the drill happens to trigger anxiety in many. Again, distraction and relaxation techniques as well as numbing agents can help.

4. Pain

If you have had a negative experience in the past that resulted in you feeling pain of any kind, it is understandable that you may fear your dentist. The use of numbing gels and relaxation techniques can eliminate many of the potential causes of pain. Ask your dentist for details.

5. Bad Teeth

Your dentist deals with people all day with varying degrees of oral health. If you are concerned about how your teeth look, your dentist has likely seen far worse and is in business to help people to prevent dental problems. This includes cleanings and check-ups on a regular basis.

Don’t Let Your Dental Anxiety Affect Your Oral Health

The tips listed above are intended to assist you in trying to overcome dental anxiety. If you leave your oral hygiene untreated for an extended period of time, it can severely impact your quality of life.

Contact your local dentist in Burwood today, All Needs Dental, and discuss any phobia you may have in advance so we can work with you to make your visit as stress-free as possible.