Three Surefire Ways to Ease Your Dental Anxiety
No matter what age you are—be it nine or 99—dental anxiety is a pretty common condition that people of all ages can and often do experience. The thought of even just a routine examination can make some people very nervous and cause them to avoid the dentist altogether. Rather than putting your oral and overall health in jeopardy by just not going to the dentist at all, there are three things that you can do to make seeing the dentist so much easier. With a little bit of education, communication, and sometimes some distraction, going to the dentist can be a much smoother experience.
Education
The first key to conquering any fear, regardless of what it is about, is proper education. Talking to the dentist about what the procedure involves and making sure you understand the process every step of the way ahead of time can go a long way to help you feel more comfortable about the situation. It is important, however, that you get your information from the proper source. Talk to the dentist rather than look up the information online. You will feel better when the person doing the procedure or the treatment is the one to tell you how everything is going to happen.
Communication
Communication is important in any relationship, including the relationship between you and your dentist. Simply talking to your dentist about your anxiety can help. One thing that many people may choose to do is set up a signal with their dentist. You can use this signal anytime to signal that you need to just put a timeout in the situation and take some deep breaths or calm yourself down a little bit. You would be amazed at what being able to just pause for a moment and take a few deep breaths can do for your nerves. Make sure that you find a dentist who you can talk to about your concerns about having dental work done. Your dentist should understand and will likely have strategies and methods in place to help you deal with your nervousness.
Distraction
Communication and education can go a long way, but they can go even further when combined with something to distract you. Many dentists have new technology in place such as television sets in the ceiling that the patient can control from their seat. Other dental offices might play music or distract you with small talk and additional staff to talk to while you are undergoing your treatment. If you have spec or just general anxiety about seeing the dentist, give California Dental Group a call about these and other strategies you can employ to calm your nerves when in the dentist chair. Our goal with each patient is to make each one feel as comfortable as possible.
