Dental anxiety can result from various factors. Your relative’s attitudes or past traumatic events can cause this condition. However, dental anxiety is a subjective experience. If you suffer from dental anxiety, our team can help. Contact Lovett Dental Upper Kirby today at 713-490-8888 for more information.
Signs of Dental Anxiety
The most obvious signal that you have dental anxiety is by routinely avoiding your dental appointments, causing severe problems in the long run. But, there are other signs to watch out for that include:
- Fainting or low blood pressure
- Sweating profusely
- Signs of panicking, crying, or other signs of distress
- Palpitations or racing heartbeat
- Aggression or humor to hide anxiety
8 Tips to Cope with Dental Anxiety
But here is some good news: you can manage dental anxiety. With the right tips, you can say goodbye to your fear of the dentist for good.
1. Go to a Dentist You Trust
Experts recommend that you go to a dentist with whom you feel comfortable and know they have extensive experience with a proven track record. This knowledge can help ease your fear of the dentist.
Besides having all the knowledge and equipment to perform the necessary treatments, it is vital that your dentist offers quality care and is concerned about patients’ welfare and comfort.
2. Arrive at the Office a Few Minutes Early
One way to reduce dental anxiety is to arrive at the dentist’s office about ten minutes before your scheduled appointment. This way, you can also avoid hearing the noises of various instruments at work while the dentist attends to other patients.
It is also vital that you schedule your appointment on a day when you have nothing else to do so that you are relaxed and not in a hurry.
3. Effective Communication
It is essential to establish effective communication with the dentist. It is also critical to communicate with them about your state of anxiety prior to the beginning of any treatment.
By informing the dentist about your fears and insecurities, they will determine the most effective way to perform the dental interventions required. This applies to a simple cleaning or more complex treatments, such as a tooth extraction.
In turn, they will explain which procedures they will perform and how they will do them. This communication ensures that you understand your procedures and feel that you have greater control of the situation.
4. Focus Your Thoughts
One way to relax is to divert thoughts into positive and calm scenarios. Diverting attention from the procedure the dentist is performing and focusing on pleasant things decreases stress and dental anxiety.
5. Keep Your Hands Busy
Another option is to use elements designed to reduce stress, such as a stress ball or any other small object you can play with during your appointment. This action gives your mind something else to focus on that won’t promote dental anxiety.
6. Listen to Music
Listening to music can be a healthy way to negate dental anxiety. This way, you avoid hearing noises of instruments while enjoying a relaxing environment. For this, you should use earphones so that you can set the volume to your liking.
7. Practice Breathing Exercises
This practice is an effective way to release mental and muscular tension. Inhaling air deeply and then exhaling slowly promotes the influx of oxygen to the tissues and brain.
Before sitting in the chair, you can take three to five breaths or as many as you consider necessary to make yourself feel calm.
8. Sedation Dentistry
Our Lovett Dental Upper Kirby sedation dentist provides a useful alternative for those patients who suffer a high degree of dental anxiety and fear. By inducing a state of relaxation, a sedation dentist allows the treatment to be performed more comfortably and smoothly.
One of the options for conscious sedation is nitrous oxide, a gas that you inhale through a mask and whose effects disappear once the administration stops.
Although sedation dentistry is a safe method, the patient’s health must first be evaluated to determine whether it is a viable option.
Lovett Dental Upper Kirby Can Help with Your Dental Anxiety
Few people like going to the dentist. After all, it can be an extremely stressful experience. But we know what you’re going through. Our team of experts at Lovett Dental Upper Kirby will do everything we can to accommodate your dental anxiety. We offer several dental treatment options, including:
Call Lovett Dental Upper Kirby today at 713-490-8888 to schedule an appointment.