Want to visit your dentist for a simple check up or even a treatment but the thought of it alone is torturing you? You keep avoiding,postponing or even cancelling the appointment? You are not alone. There are many people who have this specific phobia and get terrorized by the idea of a dentist.
Calm down! There are ways to overcome your fear. Then not only you will eventually visit your dentist but the appointment will be as pleasant as possible.
The reasons due to which you feel this indescribable fear vary. The most common is the fear of pain. Either because you,yourselves had some painful experiences in your past either because someone else has described his own painful experience or you simply have a false idea for us poor dentists and our innocent tools!
There are however many who feel that even by sitting on the dental examination chair,lose control.They hate remaining passive during the treatment and in ignorance of what is happening in their mouths at the time. The reasons for the phobia are really a lot, but we will emphasize on some ways to release it.
Let’s analyze some tips to overcome this fear.
Fist tip
The best way to overcome your anxiety about visiting the dentist is to talk openly and honestly about this. That way your dentist will understand your denial and refusal from treatments in the past. And also the neglected oral hygiene and will advise you accordingly. It will also ensure that you feel comfortable and calm in the examination room.
Second tip
You can go to the scheduled appointment with someone you trust and ask to be by your side during the treatment. You will make you feel more security.
Third trip
Seek distraction during therapy .If a TV is near devote to it, if there is music in the room close your eyes and let your mind travel with it. You can find different things to focus attention on while sitting in the dental chair, other than thinking about what is happening inside your mouth and being alert for the pain. Do not forget that everything is in your mind.Where you put your attention consciously,after a while becomes the dominant thought also subconsciously.
Fourth tip
Ask your dentist to inform you about every movement in your mouth,to explain the use of each tool before actually using it. When you know what will follow fear often looses its power!
Fifth tip
Try relaxation techniques. One technique is deep breaths (deep inhalation through the nose, hold the air a few seconds, send the air in the abdominal area and don’t keep it in your mouth only, slow exhalation from the mouth).This way the vibrations soothe your heart and relax your muscles.
Sixth tip
Sedation is an option. Your dentist can provide you with a range of options,from using some pill that will be taken an hour before the visit, to general anesthesia during treatment. In such cases, however, before the use of any such substance you should ask your dentist.
Seventh tip
If your phobia is so strong that it makes it impossible for any treatment and you can not overcome it by the methods mentioned above, the best solution is the advice of a psychologist.
Beyond fear there are many people who are embarrassed to visit their dentist because of their neglected oral hygiene. In such cases, consider that the dentist has experience from studying and working,he has seen almost everything that can happen in a mouth!
There will be no surprises for him! If you worry about the embarrassing conversation around your lack of hygiene, get over it because modern dentists are also modern people like you and recognize the daily battles, haste and negligence. Besides, dentists understand that the problems of the teeth depend also upon heredity and environmental factors.
The responsibility is clearly yours, you decide for your own health the rest of us can just advice you. Consider therefore whether it is worth the sacrifice! Where there is fear there isn’t progress.