If you’re afraid of dental appointments, you aren’t the only one. An estimate of over 75% of adults tends to experience anxiety when it comes to visiting the dentist. Some of the individuals might even have an overwhelming fear of dental visits, which is called odontophobia.
Of course, dental visits can certainly seem unpleasant. However, they should never be avoided. Maintaining proper oral health is considered essential to your overall wellbeing. With regular dental appointments, you can prevent any problems from getting worse. Plus, you can also treat any existing issues before they escalate.
The following are a few tips through which you can face your upcoming dental appointment with full confidence.
1. Expressing Your Problem to the Dentist
Being honest and open with the dentist is a fantastic way to establish a trusting rapport. Tell them about the concerns or fears that you have. You can also get in touch with a caregiver as they will be willing to listen to you without any belittlement or judgment. If you have someone that you can trust by your side, you will definitely feel comfortable.
2. Developing a Plan for Stress Management
With the help of your dentist, try developing a plan through which you can manage your anxiety. Some of the dental offices provide nitrous oxide in order to make sure the patients are at ease at the time of their appointment. Most of the patients are also advised to take some sort of anti-inflammatory medicines before visiting the dentist in order to ease their pain and reduce the swelling. Dental professionals even recommend some patients use a sleeping aid to make sure they are well rested before the appointment.
3. Bringing a Friend
Taking a family member or trusted friend along with you to your appointment is a good way to ease the anxiety. As long as you have a familiar face around during your visit, it will take a lot of your stress away.
4. Focusing on a Distraction
Rather than putting your focus on whatever your dentist is doing, try focusing on a distraction during your appointment. Most of dental clinics have TVs, so ask for the remote and switch to a program that you will enjoy viewing. In case there’s no TV, bring along an audiobook or some other form of music which you can listen to during the visit.
5. Trying Relaxation Techniques
In order to ease your nerves prior to the appointment, you can try a few relaxation techniques. Progressive relaxation of the muscles, as well as deep breathing, are a few decent ways through which you can relax your body and mind before your visit.