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Beating Dental Anxiety and Fear Made Easy

Going to the dentist is well-known as an unpleasant event, and some people have a lot more anxiety about it than others. In most cases, a visit is pretty harmless and not that painful. Even so, the anxiety can run high with some people, even getting to extreme fear. This usually leads to avoiding the dentist altogether, which is a sure-fire way to have health problems and costly bills later on.

There are lots of different ways to conquer dental fear, many of which are recommended by dental professionals.

Be Informed

Be Informed

Don’t let fear of the unknown be the main cause of your dentist anxiety. A good source of information, like Dental Guide Australia, is a way to know what’s going to happen at your next appointment. Once you realize the precise steps the dentist will be taking with your procedure or treatment, you can relax a little bit more.

Listen to Music

Woman listening to music on a mobile phone

In today’s age of mobile devices, it’s really easy to bring your favorite tunes with you on a trip to the dentist. As long as your headphone cord doesn’t get in the way, you should be able to listen to your favorite music all through your session. It can really help keep you calm and take your mind on what’s going on in your mouth.

The sound also blocks out the noise of the tools, which are sometimes unpleasant to listen too (like a drill or suction machine). Just don’t go overboard with the volume. Your dentist will likely still want to make sure you can hear him or her when they speak to you.

Go More Frequently

anxiety

Might sound strange, but more frequent visits to the dentist can help lessen your anxiety in the long run. Procedures like cleaning will be easier, faster and less uncomfortable if they are done more often, which means less to be nervous about. It also makes things more familiar, quickly leading to less fear.

Go Numb

Patient with Dentist - dental treatment

You’ll definitely want to talk about this option with your dentist, but additional sedative or numbing agents may be helpful to reduce any pain or discomfort in your mouth during a treatment. Even just a little dose of “laughing gas” or nitrous oxide can really help you relax without any complications.

Now, if you’re hoping to be put right out under complete anesthetic, you’ll probably be out of luck though. Full sedation is a little too risky for dentists to take that route just because you’re fearful.

Talk to Your Dentist

Young woman patient and dentist

Your dentist knows all about these fears, and is trained to help you deal with them. He or she may have some suggestions to make things easier, and once they know about your feelings, they might be able to change how they proceed. They can plan on more breaks or different techniques to make things less fearful for you. But they can’t do anything to help you if they don’t know you’re uncomfortable.

The key here is not to let your dental fears keep you from getting the proper care and treatment that your teeth need.

Article Submitted By Community Writer

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