Dental Anxiety
Dental anxiety is a term used to describe many types of dental fears and
worries. Most people experience some level of dental anxiety when they
visit the dentist, especially if they are having something they’ve never
had done before.
Dentists have a lot of experience in dealing with people who are anxious
or phobic. It’s important to let your dentist know if you are anxious
about dental treatment as they can help you feel as comfortable as
possible.
The causes of dental fears are most often caused by bad experiences at a
dental practice. Hearing other people’s frightening stories can have a
similar effect.
For some people, fear of the dentist is a mild explanation for how they
feel. These people may have dental phobia, which can prevent them from
having even regular check-ups. A person with a dental phobia will avoid
dental care at all costs until severe pain or a major problem gives them
no choice. It’s difficult to define dental phobia because dental fear
may feel just as frightening as a real phobia. Lots of people view
themselves as having a phobia when they in fact have fear. Dental Phobia
is used for any feeling of dread at the thought of dentists or even
anything related to dentistry.
There are a few things patients can try in order to make their dental experience a bit more bearable.
• Relaxation techniques
– Deep breathing
– Progressive relaxation (relaxing each muscle consciously from the toes to the head)
• Bring an iPod
– Having something else to concentrate on may help you relax and pay less attention to what is going on in the dental chair
• Don’t arrive too early
– Nobody likes late patients but
coming to your dental appointment too early just means more time in the
waiting room. Show up exactly on time to limit the time spent in the
waiting area
Overcoming a fear of the dentist can be difficult however; developing a
trust with your dentist will help make those fears eventually
evaporate.
Ian, the Mosman dentist. Dentist Mosman.
image:pixabay
