There are a large number of people who are afraid of the dentist. Sometimes this fear of dentists is based on a bad childhood experience but, oddly enough, most of the time it is an irrational fear of dentistry in general.
People who are perfectly comfortable with brushing and flossing their own teeth are become terrified the moment they think of being in the dentists' office near a bunch of tools they don't recognize.
If this sounds like you, then the need for serious dentistry can be petrifying. From fillings to wisdom tooth removal, there may come a time when you need sedation dentistry and it's all too easy to scare yourself out getting important dental work done.
We've seen this reaction many times and over the years have come to understand a few ways to deal with fear of the dentist that can reduce your anxiety and make it easier to relax about the procedures you need for healthy teeth and a comfortable jaw. No need to fear the dentist any more!
1) Acclimate Yourself
The first step to cooling down at the dentists' office is to acclimate yourself to the environment. A lot of dentistry fear has to do with not understanding what all the tools do and being afraid that something surprising and painful can happen during your trip.
However, the more often you go to your dentists' office, the more your brain will be assured that surprises don't happen there and the dentist will never use a tool on your teeth without your permission.
Let your dentist know that you have a little anxiety about the whole situation and ask what each of the tools does. Your dentist is likely to be happy to explain these things to you, especially if it's the difference between a calm and happy or panicked patient.
At Dr. Linger's our patients comfort is our number one priority. From our free wifi, beverage station, and comfortable
office and caring staff we help make our patients relaxed.
2) Bring a Book for Waiting
Anticipation is one of biggest fear enhancers that we are exposed to in everyday life. If you're already nervous about seeing the dentist, especially for a serious tooth problem, sitting in the waiting room for half an hour or more is only going to make your anxiety worse.
As the time passes and you wait, it becomes all too easy to let the imagination run wild on the horrors that might await you. To keep your mind rational, it's best to also keep it busy.
Bring a book to read or a stack of puzzles to work out while you wait to ensure that you don't have the idle thought time to become more afraid.
3) Bring a Friend for Support
Finally, sedation can be scary even for people who are usually cool with the dentists' office. There are a few forms of sedation dentistry but most have you at least partially conscious.
If you're worried about freaking out while loopy on the sedation medication, bring a friend or romantic partner to hold your hand. They will be able to comfort you and help your dentist walk you through the procedure without being afraid of what's going on. At Dr. Linger's office we have Sadie the Therapy Dog who is a patient comfort specialist and certified therapy dog. Patients love Sadie and her magical way to help them relax and feel right at home.
Tediis a Cockapoo (non-shedding, hypo-allergenic) with a calm and loving personality. She loves to make your visit comfortable. Tedi can even sit on your lap if you want. Our patients with anxiety say that having Tedi with them helps make their visit very comfortable.
This will ensure that even while you're somewhat out of it, there will be someone present you can trust and will look out for your best interests.
Having a friend present ensures that your sedation experience doesn't become something upsetting and scary. Going to the dentist, especially for serious procedures like wisdom tooth removal, is frightening for a lot of people.
If you have a sedation dentistry appointment coming up and are feeling a bit shaky about it, remember these tips and that your dentist is there only to keep your teeth healthy and safe.
For more information about sedation dentistry or to start your acclimation process early, contact us today!
