When the mere idea of visiting the dentist sends shivers down your spine, you can be assured that you are not alone as much as it might seem. This is because there is a fairly large number of grown-up individuals who experience either mild uneasiness or even full-blown fear that makes people avoid dentists and refrain from visiting the dentist’s office for many years. And yet, it is seldom spoken about and thus sounds rather weird and shameful, while it is actually one of the most frequent excuses people have for neglecting themselves.
Why Dental Anxiety Happens
Dental fear is not always random; there is a reason behind most cases. The reason may be linked to a particular negative experience, either from one’s past or more recently, such as pain caused by an operation or being treated rudely by the dentist or the feeling of being in complete control while being on the chair with someone drilling into your mouth. For some other people, it is not because of any particular event but rather a general uneasiness about the whole process of visiting a dental office.
The problem is that when dental anxiety prevents a person from going to the dentist, the next visit will most probably include the treatment of what has developed in the meantime.
The Cost of Avoidance
While ignoring your teeth because you are afraid may seem like an easy way out for now, it will only worsen the problem in the future, making it larger and more complicated than it would be had it been attended to from the start. Instead of getting a simple filling that was needed, now you may need to get a root canal done; gum disease which was easily treatable now has worsened.
There is always the price to pay in the end, and that will be more dental procedures instead of fewer. However, there is another side effect of the issue – the silent stress that comes with the awareness that a visit is due and the inner struggle not to think about it.
Practical Ways to Manage Dental Anxiety
A few things really make a difference. Being honest about your anxieties before you sit in the dentist’s chair means that your dentist is better able to adapt their approach, by explaining what they are doing before they do it, asking more frequently how you are feeling, or even slowing down a little.
Setting up an agreed signal, such as raising your hand, means that you have back your power of choice which you may feel is missing. Having the first visit booked as a routine checkup rather than immediately treating a problem could be helpful in easing you into trusting the situation again.
Bringing along your headphones or another person could be beneficial.
Finding a Practice That Takes Anxiety Seriously
Each dentist doesn’t manage a dental phobia in the same way; hence, it is important that you choose a practice according to their reaction towards anxious patients and not assume that they will react the same way. If you want a Dentist Canberra that is known for handling anxious patients, chances are they would be willing to discuss things with you even before you make an appointment.
This should tell you that a dentist that is recommended for anxious patients in Canberra would actually give you a lot of information before you even make an appointment with them.
The Bottom Line
Dental phobia is real and is nothing to do with oneself, but can definitely be controlled by adopting the right method and working with the right dentist. The difficult part about this issue is making that initial phone call, but once done, everything else becomes significantly easier.
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