Straight Teeth in Less Time
Conquering Anxiety At The Dentist
Lois Murray
While everyone agrees that gums and teeth are important to maintain, dental visits are terrifying for a part of the population. You may do a fantastic job of flossing and brushing regularly, but without a dentist to examine things, you could be putting your entire mouth at risk. For the best oral care, you'll need to somehow conquer your anxiety; the following tips could end up helping you.
1-Tell the Dentist
Feeling funny about the real anxiety you face as part of the dental experience may embarrass you. You might have been trying to deal with these feelings alone, but that might have resulted in missed appointments and total avoidance.
Being honest about discomfort and frankly talking to a dentist can be a smart move. Dentists like those found at Naas Family Dentistry understand that many patients are just not happy when they walk in because they're afraid or nervous. You could find yourself surprised to learn that your particular dentist is likely to have a suite of tools and suggestions that will calm you. One such tool is medication.
Medication for general anxiety can often be useful for the queasy dental patient. Your doctor might recommend you have some medicine an hour or so before they see you. That way you'll already be in a more relaxed state when they begin work.
Depending on various procedures done, a nitrous oxide gas could be used to relax you and allow you to transport yourself once things are done. In rare cases, you'll be "knocked out" with a general anesthesia so you sleep during dental work.
Another method of allaying anxiety includes more discussion about their actions before and during any work. The dentist could also take multiple breaks to allow you time to sit up and breathe.
2-Bring Distractions
Your own commitment to handling anxiety is important too. Look for all the ways you can feel better about dental visits and dental work. You can even work on your own distractions. You might, for example, bring along a new audiobook so you can attach headphones and drown out any dental tool sounds. In some offices, you can bring DVDs or watch television.
The best distraction could be a person. With your spouse, best friend or relative in the room with you, you may find yourself laughing or remaining calm because of their presence.
Dental anxiety can likely be conquered if you're willing and committed to chasing it away. Your dentist can help.
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I had braces when I was a kid. Back then, you had to wear those metal wires and rubber bands for what seemed like forever. When I saw that my child’s teeth were going to be crooked like mine, I was dreading the years of braces and orthodontist appointments and limited diets that I saw stretching ahead of us. I was pleased to find out that braces today are very different from braces when I was a kid. They don’t need to be worn for nearly as long, and they aren’t as intrusive, either. My daughter got braces that can barely be seen, and she can remove them when she eats, so she doesn’t have to give up her favorite foods. I was so impressed that I started a blog to talk about modern day tooth straightening techniques. Braces have come a long way.