If you feel anxious and stressed by the prospect of a visit to the dentist, you are not alone. At Glow Dental, we understand that dental anxiety can be a real problem for some patients, and it is something that we take very seriously. As well as causing stress before and during the appointment, dental anxiety can drive some people to delay visiting the dentist. This gives any problems time to worsen and ultimately leads to more detailed treatment being needed when the discomfort just can’t be ignored any longer.
Triggers For Anxiety
Even though a local anaesthetic ensures dental procedures are painless, we appreciate that nobody eagerly looks forward to having an injection and sitting through a filling or a root canal. However, there is a big difference between that feeling and the almost debilitating anxiety that some patients experience.
This condition can be brought about by many factors, ranging from a fear of needles to a bad childhood experience. Sometimes, as with other phobias, it is hard to put a finger on what is causing it – but that doesn’t make it any less real.
Here To Help You
The first step in combatting dental anxiety is to acknowledge it. Dental anxiety is a common condition that affects men and women of all ages and is certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. If you feel anxious about visiting the dentist, please tell us, and we can help. For some patients, that means taking some extra time to allow you to get to know the dentist or hygienist. For others, it might involve taking regular breaks during a dental procedure.
Make The Dentist Part of Your Routine
Having regular check-ups makes visiting the dentist a more routine activity. It also means potential problems with your teeth will be dealt with swiftly. For example, a small cavity can be repaired in 20 to 30 minutes with a filling. However, if you leave it until it is infected and causing you severe pain, a root canal taking several hours might be the only option left to save the tooth.
Distraction Techniques
We have treated dozens of nervous patients. It might sound trite to say: “think about something else,” but we have found that distraction techniques can work exceptionally well. That is one of the reasons that at Glow Digital we have gone beyond the traditional pile of magazines and you can even watch your favourite movie or boxset on Netflix while you are reclining in the dentist’s chair!
