3 Ways To Control Your Anxiety When Visiting The Dentist

26 March 2019
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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Has it been a while since you had your teeth cleaned or otherwise looked at? Do you have concerns or phobias about visiting a dental office? For many people, getting a dental exam can be even scarier and more anxiety-inducing than going skydiving or handling a venomous snake. If you also feel this way, you're not alone. Of course, it doesn't matter how many other people are dealing with the situation; it isn't going to make it any easier for you to overcome your fears and get the care your teeth need. But that also doesn't mean that it's hopeless. There are things you can do to make the situation easier and less of a challenge on yourself. While they may not help everyone, a few things that you can try include:

1. Get to know the dentist: You can often find a dentist who will offer a free initial consultation and exam, something that can be great for a lot of people. But when you're already nervous about an upcoming visit, the last thing you'll want is to have a virtual stranger poking around in your mouth. Instead of having the consultation and exam immediately, consider paying for your first visit to meet your dentist and to discuss your dental hopes and fears with him or her. This will allow the two of you to get to know one another, something that should help keep your anxiety level under control.

2. Listen to music: For the most part, while your teeth are being worked on you don't actually have to be able to hear your dentist. A good pair of noise-canceling headphones and a favorite music playlist can help distract you and keep you from hearing the sound of the dental tools being used. Without the noise from the drill or other various sounds, you should be able to relax much more than if you weren't wearing the headphones at all.

3. Treat yourself: Sometimes, the best way to get yourself to do something is to bribe yourself. As a reward for visiting the dentist, you might want to consider something like getting yourself a book that you've been wanting, go to see a movie that you've been saving, or taking yourself out for a fancy dinner. It may take a few visits for your brain to make the connection between good things and visiting the dentist, but the anticipation alone may be sufficient to override your anxiety from the first visit.

Contact a company like Naas Family Dentistry today to learn more.