An estimated 12% of people suffer from extreme fear of the dentist and more than a third of the population suffers from mild or moderate dental anxiety, according to the National Institutes of Health. Not only is anxiety unpleasant to deal with, but it can prevent people from accessing the dental care they need to keep their mouths and bodies healthy, meaning dental issues are worsened over time without proper care or treatment.
To keep your mouth and body healthy so that you can avoid such worsening symptoms and issues, it’s important to take steps to overcome dental anxiety and visit the dentist regularly for routine cleanings and examinations.
At BB Dental Studio, our goal is to provide patients with a luxury, spa-like dental experience where you’ll feel pampered, relaxed, and at home. When you experience dental anxiety, a trip to the dentist is the last thing you want to do. We get it! Our dentist in Roseville has put together a quick list of tips that might work for you to combat your dental anxiety and get the care you need and deserve.
4 Tips for Overcoming Dental Anxiety
- Communicate
If you have dental anxiety, the most important step you can take to start overcoming your fears is to talk with our dentist and dental care team about your feelings before work begins. By voicing your concerns and goals early, we can slow down, discuss the process of your visit and any necessary treatment options to help you feel more comfortable and at ease during your appointment.
Many patients’ dental anxiety takes root in feeling that they lose control and the ability to communicate when they are in the dental chair. If you feel claustrophobic or out of control during your dental treatments, it’s important to communicate these feelings to our dental care team. We understand and can make accommodations to help you feel more in control and more able to communicate.
For example, we can establish a non-verbal system of communication that allows you to let us know if you need us to stop treatments or if you need to take a break. We are here to support you in your dental care journey, and we will do everything we can to help minimize your anxiety and help you have a positive experience in our office.
- Comfort Menu
Relaxation and comfort techniques can help you reduce the mental thoughts and physical signals of anxiety. Meditation and breathing exercises are very popular and effective for managing stress, and we recommend practicing these before, during, and after your appointment if dental anxiety is creeping up.
Additionally, our office provides patients with a Comfort Menu full of items or services you can add-on to your visit that are designed to help ease anxiety and increase comfort in the dental chair. These items include a pillow, blanket, noise-cancelling headphones, music or TV, essential oils, and more.
- Create Calm
If you suffer from dental anxiety, any other source of stress on or around the day of a dental examination can exacerbate the anxiety you experience in the dental chair. For this reason, we encourage patients with dental anxiety to schedule their appointments on days when they don’t have much else going on. Select a time that will be convenient for you so that you won’t have to worry about being late or juggling a lot of other appointments in your day.
If your experience around visiting the dentist is calm, then your time in our office will feel calmer, too.
- Sedation Dentistry
If your dental anxiety is preventing you from getting the care you need, there are sedation dentistry options available at our practice to help you relax before and during your visit, whether you’re here for a cleaning or a more complex treatment. We offer a variety of sedation techniques, ranging from mild sedation to moderate and sleep dentistry.
Experience the Luxury Difference
If you experience dental anxiety and have been putting off prioritizing your oral health because of it, our compassionate dental care team is ready to show you what a difference pampered, concierge-level care can do for you.
To learn more about sedation dentistry and how you can keep your peace of mind while accessing the dental care you need, we welcome you to contact our office today.
