Going to visit the dentist, whether you are a new dental patient or a veteran, can cause stress and anxiety in some people. This stress is understandable, as there can be a certain amount of discomfort and unexplainable anxiety attached to dental appointments. However, it is important to try and calm your stress so you don’t try and stretch out your dental visits.
By allowing your stress to keep you away from dental appointments, you raise the likelihood that a small oral health issue will need immediate intervention. By allowing your stress to dictate your actions, you could also end up having higher dental bills to deal with your neglected oral care.
There are several ways you can alleviate your dentist-related stress. We have compiled many suggestions and recommend you employ as many as you need to help feel calm while visiting your dentist.
Talk About Your Dental Anxiety
When you set up a dental appointment, mention that visiting the dentist causes you stress. Once your dental office has this information, the staff can more appropriately respond to your needs and any special requirements you may have. They may also offer options they have to help patients who struggle with dental anxiety, such as:
- Sedation dentistry – Sleep your way through your stressful dental visits.
- Establish signals – If you begin to panic or simply need a break from the procedure, establish a signal, such as raising your hand, to indicate you need the dental staff to give you space.
- Discuss medication – If you have anti-anxiety medications, you should discuss with your dentist whether you should take any before your dental visit. Depending on the procedure, the medication may interfere, so be sure your dentist is aware of all the medications you are taking.
Block Out The Dental Office
We put blinders on animals to help them work through stressful situations. It only makes sense that we allow ourselves some “blinders” to deal with dental appointment stress. Some ways you could block out the dentist are:
- Put in earbuds and listen to music or something to block out the noise of the dental office.
- Wear sunglasses to help block out your surroundings.
- Recite a mantra inside your head: “I am going to be fine” or “I am safe and okay”. A mantra can help you tune out anxious thoughts.
- Holding onto something can help you literally get a grip on the situation. Grabbing onto a stress ball, worry stone, or a good friend’s hand can help you feel more in control and less overwhelmed by your anxiety.
Your dentists and their staff want you to feel stress-free during your time at their office. Which is why it is so important to try and find which strategies will help calm you during your dental appointments. It may take some trial and error, but the relief will be worth it in the end.