Dental anxiety can be a major hurdle to overcome for many people. This anxiety isn’t as simple as being scared of the dentist; instead, dental anxiety is a complex experience that can affect patients of all ages.
As many as 36% percent of patients experience some level of dental anxiety, with 12% having extreme dental anxiety. If you feel anxious about visiting the dentist, try these six tips on how to overcome dental anxiety to get the dental care you need:
1. Understand Your Dental Anxiety
The first step to overcoming dental anxiety is to understand what triggers it in your unique case. You may find that you have specific fears, such as needles or dental drills. In other cases, you might have concerns that the dentist may judge the condition of your smile or that a visit will reveal serious oral health issues.
While these can all be serious concerns, it’s also important to understand why avoiding the dentist only makes things worse. Putting off dental care will allow any existing issues to worsen, eventually requiring more serious treatment.
2. Work With the Right Dentist
Choosing the right dentist can also help you deal with dental anxiety. Ideally, you’ll want a dentist who has some experience with patients with dental anxiety.
An effective dentist will be compassionate and understanding toward your concerns and will take the time to hear you out. You can also ask about potential accommodations during visits.
3. Try Calming Exercises
Depending on the extent of your dental anxiety, you could see significant improvement through some simple calming exercises. Focusing on slow breathing, counting backward from 10, and trying other exercises can help you get through periods of increased anxiety before and during visits.
4. Consider Sedation Dentistry
In some cases, dental anxiety presents a major challenge to receiving treatment. Sedation dentistry can ensure that you remain calm and comfortable during treatment, which may be of particular benefit during longer or more invasive procedures.
While local anesthetic can numb pain, other options, such as oral sedation, also maintain calm and relaxation.
5. Bring Along Support
Bringing along someone for support can make visiting the dentist much easier. Your dentist may or may not allow a guest to join you during treatment, depending on the specific procedure and their office environment. In any case, you can certainly bring someone along for encouragement ahead of your treatment.
6. Take Your Mind Off of Treatment
In many cases, dental anxiety is related to overwhelming sensations during treatment. Bright lights, vibrations from a dental drill, and other sensations can make treatment a difficult process for some.
Having something else to focus on, such as music through headphones, can make the overall treatment process more bearable for many who face dental anxiety.
Ensuring You Get the Care You Need in Colorado Springs
Every case of dental anxiety is unique, so the key is to find the specific method that works for you. The friendly team at Pinnacle Dentistry can help you discover the right solution for you and provide accommodations and sedation dentistry options to ensure you enjoy a comfortable experience during your visit.
Contact us today to discuss your unique needs so that we can determine how to get over dental anxiety together.
