Dental

How to Cope with Dental Anxiety

Many people feel anxious at the prospect of visiting a dentist, and for some it is an actual fear or phobia. While the severity of dental anxiety can vary, there are ways that you can try to cope with it.

If you suffer from dental anxiety of any kind, you should attempt the following:

  • Communicate your fears to your dentist

Make sure your dentist is aware of your anxiety right from the get go. Most dentists are experienced in dealing with dental anxiety, and by communicating your fears they will be able to take measures to help you – such as explaining everything they’re doing to make you feel more at ease.

  • Get a good night’s sleep

Although you may have difficulty sleeping knowing that you have a dental appointment the next day, you should try to get as much sleep as possible. If you’re well-rested you’re likely to be able to cope much better with any anxiety and your nerves should be generally calmer.

  • Avoid caffeine and sugar

The last thing you want to do before visiting your dentist is drink coffee or consume anything with lots of sugar. Both will boost your energy levels, and have a similar effect on any anxiety you may be feeling too.

  • Bring someone you trust with you

Having someone you trust alongside you when you visit the dentist can help to keep you calm and quell your fears. It could be a friend or family member, so long as you trust them and feel that they’ll be able to reassure and support you if you start to get anxious.

  • Try relaxation techniques

Basic relaxation techniques can go a long way towards keeping you calm and preventing anxiety from getting worse. The most common is to take deep breaths in and then exhale slowly, though you can also try other techniques that you may find work better.

  • Find ways to distract yourself

Rather than using relaxation techniques, another way to keep your fears at bay is to distract yourself so that you don’t dwell on them. One of the more popular methods of doing so nowadays is by using fidget spinners, though a rubber band, small ball, or something else you can fiddle with in your hand could work just as well.

  • Ask about sedation

While most dentists try to avoid sedating patients except in extreme cases, if your phobia of dental appointments is severe you should ask about the possibility. It is not ideal, but as a final option it is preferable to missing out on your dental appointments completely.

As you can see there are many ways to cope with your anxiety when you visit dentist Northampton, but it all starts with discussing the issue with your dentist and communicating your fears. Considering how experienced they are it is safe to say that they’ll be able to make further suggestions that could help you to handle your fear better so that your anxiety doesn’t become too unmanageable.

Related Articles

Back to top button