6 Ways to Calm Dental Anxiety

5/25/2021

About 95% of dental patients have some form of anxiety. Whether it’s the shot, the fear of the unknown, the fear of pain, or just the unpleasantness of the dentist hands in your mouth, there are an undetermined number of reasons why most people are scared. Unfortunately, no matter how you feel about the dentist, at some point it has to be done. So, let’s go over some ways to help you through it.

Ask your dentist to walk through the procedure with you. There are many times when the fear is really just a fear of the unknown. As dentists, we do the same procedures all day every day. We sometimes forget that something we have done thousands of times is completely unknown to you. Often just a short explanation of what we are going to do can alleviate all of your fears.
Tell your dentist about your specific fears. We can’t help what we don’t know. If you have a fear of needles, we can make sure you don’t see it. If you hate impression material, we have tricks to make it easier. If we know what you are particularly in fear of, we can do our best to help you through it.
Watch your food and drink intake. Drinking a coffee with extra shots of espresso when you are already nervous will only make you more jittery. Caffeine is not calming. The same goes for high sugar foods. They will only amp up your body’s anxiety level.
Plan your day. If possible, make your appointment for dental work on a day where you don’t have a bunch of other stressful things going on. This will allow you to be as calm as possible.
Visit your dentist routinely. I know this seems counterintuitive, but often patients are scared of what we will find in your mouth. With regular visits, not only will you get used to the process of seeing the dentist, but in addition, there is less of a chance that we will find something major if we just saw you 6 months ago.
Sedation! Finally, if your anxiety is too much and the above suggestions just aren’t cutting it, ask your dentist for sedation. There are many different kinds of sedation. From nitrous oxide or laughing gas, to oral sedation, to iv sedation. Ask your dentist about your sedation options.

Please keep in mind that, as your dentist, we want you to be happy. A relaxed, happy patient makes our job easier. So, let us know what we can do to help you. Remember we can’t read your mind! In the famous words of Jerry Maguire, “Help me Help You!” That way we can all be happy.

2 Comments

Highland Oak Dental link

11/2/2021 01:14:38 am

It was nice reading this blog post! It's very informative. Sedation dentistry is a procedure that can be performed on patients who are fearful of dental procedures or who experience significant stress during the procedure. Sedation dentistry can be delivered intravenously, orally, or through injections.

Sedative medications are used to alleviate anxiety and tension, enabling patients to receive treatment painlessly. When supplied intravenously or injected into a location near the nerve terminals that govern pain, the medicines have been shown to lower pain messages by up to 50%. Sedatives taken orally have a calming effect by reducing the transmission of messages from the brain to other regions of the body.

Finest Dentistry link

12/10/2021 06:16:27 pm

Thank you for this very informative blog post! Sedation dentistry is a method that can be used on individuals who are scared of dental procedures or who are stressed out during the procedure. Dental sedation can be administered intravenously, orally, or through injections.

Sedative medicines are used to relieve anxiety and tension, allowing patients to get therapy without experiencing any discomfort. When administered intravenously or injected near the nerve terminals that control pain, the medications have been proven to significantly reduce pain messages by up to 50%. Oral sedatives produce a calming effect by inhibiting the passage of messages from the brain to other parts of the body.

Author

Born in Saint Petersburg, Florida, Ariana displayed bright intelligence from an early age, eventually becoming salutatorian for her graduating class at Dixie-Hollins High School. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Florida at Gainesville, and continued her education to earn her dental degree in 2004 from the University of Florida College of Dentistry. It's worth noting that the College of Dentistry is ranked seventh among all dental schools in the United States, and it has an international reputation for the caliber of its graduates. Through continuing education programs, Dr. Clayton maintains her training on the most up-to-date and successful dental treatment techniques, and she strives to incorporate the best of newly available techniques into her practice. Sunshine Smile Designs is proud to offer this high level of care at an affordable price to many patients. Beyond her daily practice, Dr. Clayton is a volunteer for Dentistry From the Heart, a program that provides dental services at no cost to the indigent in Florida. Likewise, she also regularly attends mission trips to provide free dental services to blind and deaf children in an impoverished area of Jamaica. Ariana enjoys spending time with her nine-year-old son and her husband, who is also a University of Florida–trained dentist. Her artistic side is fulfilled by playing (and teaching) piano and by photography. She also enjoys travel, and one of her life goals is to visit all fifty states by recreational vehicle!