Are you nervous about visiting the dentist? If so, you are definitely not the only one. It has been found in studies that about 20 percent of Americans visit the dentist as infrequently as possible since they have anxiety about going. For this same reason, around five to eight percent of Americans entirely avoid going to the dentist.
Fortunately, there are various strategies that can be used to help you overcome your fears so that you can keep your oral health under control for years into the future. Here are six strategies that you can use.
Select a dentist that you like
Arguably this is one of the very best things that you can do to better cope with your dental phobias or anxieties since your dentist will play a significant role in the way you feel during your dentist appointment. Your ideal dentist or Fleet orthodontist should be willing to listen, be understanding, and be invested in helping you come up with strategies that will help to make your dentist appointments a lot more comfortable. If the dentist that you currently see doesn’t meet these standards, then you might want to start looking for a new one.
Get two-way communication established with your dentist
It is the responsibility of your dentist to help you feel more comfortable during your appointment. However, you can diminish or enhance your ability to do this based on how willing you are to communicate. A two-way street is the most effective form of communication. For example:
Be honest and tell your dentist about the anxieties you have so they work closely with you and discover what helps and what doesn’t in making you feel more relaxed and comfortable.
Have your dentist explain to you what they will be doing before they start and throughout the process. That can help you feel like you are more in control.
Establish a signal with your dentist that tells the dentist when they need to stop whatever they doing to give you a break. That will let you remain in the driver’s seat and will ell your dentist f you are being pushed too far past what you are comfortable with.
Remind yourself how dentistry has become less painful and increasingly safe.
The image of an evil dentist leering over his patient while holding a huge electric drill might be material for a horror film (as well as your imagination, but it doesn’t accurately represent what occurs inside a dentist’s office. Dentistry has seen modern advancements that have made dental procedures and treatment less painful and more comfortable than ever before. Despite their reputation, root canals are not really all that painful these days. So before you visit the dentist, be sure to remind yourself that things won’t be as bad as your anxious thoughts are telling you.
Listen to something that you are interested in.
Get your smartphone or iPod cued up with some favourite music, engrossing audiobook, or interesting podcast, and tell your dentist you will be trying to lose yourself in it during your dentist appointment. Distracting yourself can be a useful strategy in helping you detach from your anxiety. If your favourite device runs out of battery power, similar results can be achieved by doing multiplication tables in your head or reciting the alphabet backward.
Practice relaxation techniques.
Acupressure, meditation, and deep breathing are all known to help to reduce overwhelm and anxiety. You can practice any of these strategies while sitting in the dentist’s chair. It helps to be familiar with the practice rather than attempting it for the very first time at the dentist. You might want to practice one or more of these techniques on a daily basis for a week before your appointment so you will be ready to use them once you actually need them the most.