Dental Delight: Steps for Alleviating Anxiety Before Dental Appointments
Anxiety and nerves around dental appointments are surprisingly common, and every year they stop hundreds of Australians from getting the dental care they need to optimise their oral health.
Strong negative emotions such as worry, nervousness, and even panic, are bad for patients’ overall health too. In severe cases, dental anxiety can cause insomnia, aggression, and heart palpitations. In some cases, it has a clear cause, such as a poor past experience, but for others, there is no discernible reason.
However, there are steps you can take to alleviate dental anxiety in all cases. This short article will explain some of them.
Do some research
There is abundant information about all aspects of dentistry online. You can easily find out what is involved in any type of procedure. If your dentist has said that you need a certain type of treatment and explained to you what it involves, it may make you feel better to corroborate this with other sources.
It can also be helpful to find out what the different dental tools are used for. Some cases of dental anxiety are rooted in a fear of dental instruments. From dental polishing kits to sickle probes and drills, dentists have some sharp, intimidating tools lying around in their clinics. If you’re unfamiliar with them, your brain can jump to all kinds of terrifying conclusions about what they are used for.
Be open with your dentist
Calm, comfortable patients make dentists’ lives easier too. For this reason, they are generally happy to discuss your concerns and help you come up with some coping strategies. They’ve also probably had a lot of experience with anxious patients before, so there is no need to be embarrassed.
If you think it will be helpful, you can ask them to request your permission before starting or proceeding with each stage of the treatment, ask them to explain what they are doing and why, and agree to a stop signal which tells them that you’d like to take a break.
Bring someone supportive
Attend your appointment with a loved one or a person you trust who can support you during your appointment. Someone who can help motivate you and who is strong-willed enough to stop you from cancelling is ideal, but even just the knowledge that there is someone you trust waiting outside the exam room for you can be very soothing.
Consume the right things beforehand
Your everyday level of stress and anxiety can also have an effect on how you feel before your appointment. Getting enough sleep, regular exercise, and eating a good diet are all proven ways to reduce your overall stress levels. Avoid overconsuming caffeine, processed foods, and sugary foods, and avoid having them right before your appointment too. They can exacerbate feelings of stress.
If you have been prescribed anxiety-relieving medication, you should take it beforehand. If not, and you suffer severe symptoms like heavy sweating or a high heart rate, ask if your dentist can prescribe it.
Conclusion
Dental anxiety can be detrimental to your oral health and overall well-being. But as you can see, there are many ways to relieve it, from familiarising yourself with the tools and procedures to discussing it with your dentist.
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