5 Tips For Overcoming Dental Anxiety

If you’re facing a dental appointment in the coming weeks, it’s completely natural to feel slightly apprehensive. But for those of you with debilitating dental anxiety, it’s important to recognize that help from your general dentist is available. Within this latest post, our trusted team will explore five tips for overcoming dental anxiety.

  1. Create a Strategy with Your DentistThe majority of general dentists have experience working with anxious patients. They can help you devise strategies to mitigate your dental anxiety over the long-term. Feel free to open up to your dentist, and you’ll realize there are many options available. Working with your dentist can also ensure treatment is designed to keep you calm as you achieve your desired results.
  2. Bring a FriendSupport is important during those moments when we feel most anxious. Ask a friend to join you on your next trip to the dentist. This will help you to know that someone you trust and care for is waiting just around the corner.
  3. Consider Using Relaxation Techniques During TreatmentOftentimes, anxious patients bring a meditation or calming device that can help them to relax during their treatment. You might bring a stress-relief ball or a hand-grip to squeeze during treatment. Having this simple item by your side can help you to stay calm all the way through your treatment.
  4. Review Sedation OptionsThere are now many forms of sedation available, depending on your level of fear, to help you relax during treatment. Whether you’re receiving treatment for a root canal or filling, or simply undergoing a cleaning, it’s important to speak with your dentist during your initial appointment to discuss sedation options. Your dentist will then go through the sedation process and discuss any steps you must take before, during, and after treatment.
  5. Use Visualization TechniquesOftentimes, simple visualization techniques can be enough to help carry you through the treatment process while overcoming your anxiety. You can picture yourself on the beach with the waves softly breaking around you. Or, you might picture yourself at a favourite vacation destination with your loved ones. This approach requires strong focus, but it can be a highly effective way of avoiding prolonged anxiety in the dentist’s chair.

Our trusted team is here to guide you in keeping calm throughout your treatment experience. To learn more about how to overcome dental anxiety, call our team today!