Anxious About An Upcoming Dental Appointment?

Dental anxiety can be unpleasant, but it can also result in some patients avoiding the dentist altogether.

For many people, the best thing about attending a dental check up appointment is the feeling of relief as you walk out of the door having been given a clean bill of health and no need to even think about your next appointment. Of course, some people will have received not so good news and may need treatment, potentially having to face their fear of the dentist again in six months time.

Dental anxiety, or phobia, is a real thing and is very common. Our Wickford dentists see many patients each day with different degrees of anxiety. For some, it is just a minor issue which still enables them to receive examinations and treatments when needed, even if not entirely comfortably. For others though, it can be more challenging and can produce panic, sweating and rapid heartbeat among other things. For some, it is so bad that they simply cancel any appointments until such time as pain is so bad that they can no longer bear it and they have no alternative.

For the latter group, a visit to the GP might be the best plan and you may need some medication to enable you to remain calm enough to receive treatment. For most though, the following tips might help and are worth reading for all levels of dental anxiety.

Our dentists

We know that people don’t like metallic instruments in their mouth, prodding and poking, but it is important to remember that our dentists are highly trained and are also aware that many patients don’t find the experience very pleasant, or worse. They will always take care to be as gentle as they can, whether that be a check up or a procedure. You can be sure that you are in safe and reliable hands when you come to the Cygnet Dental Practice.

Communication

If you are an anxious patient, do tell the dentist so that they can take any extra measures needed. One example of this, during a procedure, might be an agreed signal that you need a short break to compose yourself.

Bring a friend

Many anxious patients find that bringing a friend with them to sit in the waiting room helps to distract them from the forthcoming treatment or examination. They may not be allowed in the treatment room though so please be aware of this. This would need to be agreed beforehand. We also advise that you arrive early for your appointment so that you are not already stressed from rushing to get there on time.

Deep breathing

One of the most simple things that you can do to relax is to take deeper and slower breaths. There is no need to take deep gulps of air but gradually increase the depth of the breath. This is a well known technique and can be very successful. Some patients might find that repeating a word or short phrase to themselves while doing this helps, something that has pleasant connotations such as ‘warm beach’ or whatever helps you the most.

Headphones

Listening to relaxing music, or perhaps a podcast, is also something that some people find beneficial. Do agree this beforehand though. Your dentist will still need to communicate with you during any procedure too, so please keep this in mind.

Hypnosis

If your dental anxiety is an ongoing thing, it might be worth considering seeing a hypnotist. It doesn’t work for everybody, but some people have found that this has been very successful as a longer term solution to ease their anxiety.

Meditation

Similar to the breathing exercises, giving meditation a try on a regular basis might help to reduce your anxiety levels as your appointment at our Wickford dental surgery comes around. There are many different types of meditation practice, both religious and non religious and you should be able to find something that hopefully works for you.

Seeing the dentist may not be a pleasant experience for you, although it is worse for some than others, but it is a necessary part of your medical well being. Naturally, keeping your teeth healthy makes for better eating and speaking, to say nothing of having an attractive smile, but poor oral health can also affect your general health. Increasingly, it is being discovered that bacteria relating to gum disease can lead to general medical conditions such as heart disease and some forms of dementia. This makes it even more important that you have oral health checks on a regular basis.

If you are a nervous patient and have an appointment coming up, please do let us know. We will do all that we can to help you have as comfortable and relaxing an appointment as possible. You can contact the Cygnet Dental Practice by calling us on 01268 733078.