Being afraid of visiting to dental professionals means different things to different people. May be the perception that treatment will hurt, or the sounds or smells that reminds you about the bad experiences in the past when in your childhood. Some people are so scared that they haven’t visited the dentist for years. To help overcome such dental fear, here are some tips for the same.
1) Communicate with your dentist: The best thing you can do to overcome your dental anxiety is talking to the dentist about treatment. If you have anxiety on anything, go ahead and have a candid discussion with the dentist.
2) Find a dentist who understands: Ask your friends and relatives about recommending any dentist they know and whether they had good experience during the dental visits. Your friends and relatives are the good source to find a kind and understanding dentist.
3) Close your eyes, breathe slowly: Close your eyes so that you do not see the needle and other instruments, breathe slowly and then exhale. This helps you ease fear.
4) Take a break: Whenever you start getting anxious or start feeling claustrophobic. Let your dentist know whenever you feel like taking break.
5) Manage your pain: Accept the fact that there is nothing beyond the pain of novocaine shot. The minute you do this, you will be comfortable when giving novocaine.
6) Get distracted: When you enter dentist office, you may be more anxious about what will happen during consultation followed by dental procedure. It is better to distract yourself by reading magazines or watching television which will help you ease fear.
7) Take a friend along with you: The dentist will not mind if you accompany a friend. Taking a friend along with you will also make you feel comfortable.
8) Care for yourself: When you come back, rinse your mouth with warm salt water and ice your jaw whenever you are in pain.
Often fear is about what is unknown. So do not be afraid of asking your dentist questions. And remember visit your dentist regularly because oral health is vital for your overall health.