Dental anxiety. It is fear or stress associated with dental settings, and it is estimated to affect over one-third of Americans.
The prevalence of dental anxiety is perfectly understandable. Drills and needles, though extremely helpful objects in their own rights, can also inflict pain. If someone had a traumatic experience at the dentist’s office at a young age, they are quite likely to have internalized a deep-seated dislike of returning there. Movies which portray dentistry in a negative light such as The Dentist and Little Shop of Horrors have not helped to soften people’s perceptions of going to the dentist, either. (Although even we can appreciate Steve Martin’s amazing rendition of the song Dentist!)
Dental anxiety can have severe repercussions for oral health. Those who suffer from it are quite naturally less inclined to seek dental care, and are more likely to have poor oral health as the result. These facts are usually not lost on people who experience dental anxiety, as approximately three out of four of them believe it negatively affects their quality of life.
How to Tell If You Have Dental Anxiety
We at All About Teeth have dedicated our careers to providing the best possible experience for people visiting the dentist in Logan, Utah. Regardless of our efforts, we still understand that the vast majority of people do not enjoy going to the dentist.
But dental anxiety goes beyond simply wishing you were someplace else. It is typically accompanied by real sympathetic nervous system reactions, such as:
Some people who have dental anxiety may simply become very withdrawn. Others may employ humor to mask their anxiety. They can indeed be very funny, but we would much rather they feel at ease while they are receiving dental care.
How to Reduce Dental Anxiety
If you experience anxiety at the dentist, there are several things you can do to help reduce or prevent it without medication.
- Deep breathing can prove surprisingly effective at reducing anxiety. Simply focusing on your breath, breathing from your diaphragm and lengthening exhalation can calm you while you are receiving oral care.
- Meditation is demonstrably effective at reducing anxiety in virtually all settings, the dentist’s office included. Merely focusing on a single concept or the rhythm of your own breathing can be enough to put your mind somewhere else while you’re in the dentist’s chair.
- Self-distraction isn’t necessarily easy to do while you have a dental pick in your mouth, but listening to soothing music, thinking positive thoughts and reliving favorite moments are all effective methods for alleviating anxiety.
- Guided imagery involves listening to a recording or your own inner voice as you imagine that you are in a pleasant scenario. It is increasingly used by hospitals to lessen the anxiety-inducing effects of procedures like chemotherapy and dialysis.
- Progressive muscle relaxation involves rhythmically tensing and relaxing a particular group of muscles in your body. Alongside meditation and breathing exercises, it can significantly help to reduce overall stress.
- Though it may sound odd, lying under a weighted blanket can help to reduce anxiety as well. If you have already found comfort from a weighted blanket at home, consider bringing it along during your next dental appointment.
If you suffer from severe dental anxiety, then you may discuss one of the following forms of medical management with your dentist before receiving treatment.
- Relative analgesia is more commonly known as “happy gas.” A mask is fitted to the patient’s face so they can inhale nitrous oxide, which gives them a pleasant, relaxed sensation within a few minutes. The effect wears off quickly.
- General anesthesia puts the patient fully to sleep, and must be administered with greater care than relative analgesia. It is typically not advisable for all but the most extreme cases of dental anxiety.
- Anxiety relieving medication, such as temazepam, may be prescribed by dentists to patients prior to receiving treatment. A single dose of the drug is typically administered one hour prior to the procedure.
- Conscious sedation involves administering both a sedative and an anesthetic orally or through an intravenous line. A patient may not be a good candidate for conscious sedation if they have one of several preexisting medical conditions.
If you feel even remotely anxious about visiting the dentist, we empathize completely! Please contact All About Teeth today and help us understand what our team can do to make you feel more comfortable during your visit to our clinic in Logan, Utah for dental cleanings or any of our other family, preventative, cosmetic and pediatric dentistry services.
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