Climbing into the dentist’s chair is not anyone’s favorite pastime. Dental phobia and anxiety keep approximately 22 percent of Americans enduring dental pain instead of seeking treatment from a readily available dentist. People not only expose themselves to severe oral health complications but also overall health consequences.
Dentists are aware patients experience dental appointment anxiety from earlier bad experiences with a dentist’s office, the sound of dental drills, or the fear of needles. Many people are fearful about any dental work performed inside their mouths.
Fearing dental visits won’t help you maintain optimal oral hygiene. Missing scheduled exams and cleanings only expose you to problems you never envisaged. This article provides some useful tips for you to follow to help ease handling dental anxiety. You must make every effort necessary to overcome your fears. However, if you decide to use the tips mentioned in this article, you may find it easier to overcome the anxiety of dental visits.
The Significance of Regular Dental Care
Regular dental care, like six-monthly or annual visits to the dentist, is the cornerstone of preventive dental care for optimal oral health. During your visits to the dentist in Atlanta for exams and cleanings, they can detect early signs of cavities, gum disease, and other problems manifesting in your mouth to offer prompt treatment before the issues worsen.
You can prevent cavities by having regular professional cleanings because dentists now have advanced dental equipment to remove plaque more effectively than other dental instruments. The expertise required to remove calcified plaque is also available with the dentist. Calcified plaque is challenging to remove without professional help and is the leading cause of gum disease and eventual tooth loss when it is allowed to progress to advanced periodontitis.
Here Are Our Tips to Stay Calm at the Dentist’s Office
You can read about many strategies for easing your fear and anxiety at the dentist’s office. However, you must find one method that works for you effectively. Maybe our tips will help you to successfully overcome your dental anxiety and stay calm in the dentist’s chair when receiving any treatment.
- Express Your Fears to the Dentist
- Expressing your fears to the dentist is one of the easiest and most comfortable ways to put your dental anxiety to rest. If you trust that your dental team at Creative Dentistry & Medspa has your best interests in mind, you can express your fears effortlessly.
- When you speak about your fears to the dental team, they take time to go over every aspect of the treatment to remove the fear of the unknown from the question. They also spare time to keep you informed about their actions to ensure you are in control and feel less anxious.
- Have a Friend or Family Member with You
- Having a friend or family member with you in the exam room can make a significant difference if the individual is calm and reassuring. This strategy is an excellent option for children who are anxious during any medical visits. Don’t believe adults don’t need reassurances because the method is equally effective.
- Self-Care Practices before Your Dental Appointment Help
- Do not let your dental anxiety overtake you even before your dental appointment arrives. Stay away from excessive caffeine and skip sugary foods before your appointment. Try to get a good night’s rest the day before the meeting. If you are into breathing exercises, deep and slow breathing whenever you feel anxious about your appointment helps you alleviate panic and stress.
- Distract Yourself
- There is no better strategy than distracting yourself, just like children. It could be as simple as watching something on TV or listening to your favorite music. You must ensure you have a pair of earbuds to keep the noise of the dental drill away from you. You feel relaxed within a few minutes with the distractive method.
- Set Expectations with the Dentist
- Dentists like Dr. Anitha Reddy want you to have a good experience at the dentist’s office. Therefore it helps if you let the professional about any procedures you are not comfortable with. The dentist doesn’t make any effort to push you into something you don’t want to do but prefers to work with you to help overcome your anxiety. Don’t be hesitant to ask questions or even postpone treatments if you are not prepared for it. However, if you want to postpone treatments before visiting the dentist’s office, you will not help yourself. Therefore it is strongly advised that you visit the dentist’s office and discuss the issue with them before deciding on whether you must undergo the treatment immediately or delay it for some time.