7 Tips to Avoid Dental Anxiety and Enjoy Good Oral Health
It’s all too common that we avoid healthy changes towards wellness because they push us outside our comfort zone.
Starting a new workout, updating our diet, and improving our interpersonal relationships all involve some level of anxiety and discomfort.
For millions of Canadians, dental anxiety is a major hurdle to oral health.
While securing dental insurance poses a barrier, millions avoid routine dental work out of anxiety-induced fear.
Dental health is an important part of health, and overcoming anxiety symptoms associated with visiting the dentist is a critical form of self-care. Sorry, binging Netflix and cat videos won’t do the trick.
How Many People Suffer from Dental Anxiety and Why?
Nearly 15 million Canadians — 40% of the population — have a strong fear of the dentist that it prevents them from going for screenings or routine care.
Sadly, anxiety often creates a self-fulfilling prophecy for many of us. We may avoid routine checkups but we pay for neglecting our oral health later with invasive emergency dental treatments.
To us, our anxiety proved correct! However, seeing a dentist for routine care might have avoided the need for emergency procedures.
Why are people so afraid of entering a dentist’s office? Surely, the dentist is nice enough!
I’ve found there isn’t one glaring reason people fear the dentist. It’s more of a combination of expectations and fears coming together.
· Societal stereotypes: TV shows, movies, parents, and siblings all paint a scary picture of what going to the dentist is like. Stereotypes about the dentist often start at an early age and are easy to find everywhere.
· Past experiences (often at a young age): A scary or painful experience at the dentist — especially as a child — can stick with us throughout our entire life if we don’t address the problem.
· Fear of discomfort: Many dental procedures can be painful, especially if the dentist doesn’t explain the treatment or offer proper numbing options. Plus, drilling, grinding, and scraping can feel strange and uncomfortable.
· Lack of control: There’s something about laying on our back with our mouth open while a doctor digs around that just gets to us. A prominent level of trust is key.
· Shame: Some folks who neglect their dental health often feel embarrassed or shameful about the condition of their oral health.
How to Overcome Dental Anxiety: 7 Tips
Overcoming a phobia or event-related anxiety takes time. We don’t build these fears overnight.
1. Run a Cost-Benefit Analysis
Focus on the pros of visiting the dentist: a healthy mouth, a beautiful smile, improved heart health. Make a list and it’s easy to see that the pros far outweigh the cons.
2. Communicate and Build Trust
Most dentists know that people are afraid of them. Most are happy to chat through email or a phone call about any specific fears and insecurities.
Building trust and comfort is key. Desensitize yourself by asking the dentist or staff to walk you through the process step-by-step. Staff should understand and want to help.
3. Source Multiple Experiences
A single negative review can cost a business 22% of potential customers — even if 99% of the reviews are glowing!
One person’s low opinion of Joker doesn’t mean everyone will hate it, right?
Those of us with anxiety tend to overgeneralize, jump to irrational conclusions, and turn into catastrophists. Laws of probability and rationality go right out the window.
Ask multiple people for their most recent dental experience (and don’t pry for bad press).
4. Ask about Pain Management
Dentists understand dental anxiety and are prepared to help patients cope with pain. Be vocal about any concerns and ask plenty of detailed questions. If a dentist doesn’t seem to care, go somewhere else.
5. Plan a Sedation Strategy
Sedation dentistry has come a long way over the past decade. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas), pill sedation, and general anesthesia offer various levels to meet each patient’s needs.
6. Try Distraction Techniques
Many modern dentist offices come equipped with iPads, tablets, and TVs to help patients distract themselves during uncomfortable treatments. Progressive muscle relaxation and an awesome Spotify playlist can help tremendously.
7. Talk to a Therapist
While sedation is useful, therapy can also be valuable to address dental anxiety that helps you get to the root of the problem. Many people find techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) very effective.
Start Overcoming Dental Anxiety and Improve Oral Health
Dental anxiety doesn’t have to be permanent. By laying the groundwork, we can ensure success and have positive experiences at the dentist’s office moving forward.
Self-care is vital. Isolating with a pizza and Netflix all weekend may recharge our batteries, but it doesn’t help us improve ourselves and overcome our problems.
Everyone deserves a healthy smile, and changing our mindset can help make wellness a reality.
If you’re ready to overcome your fear of the dentist, reach out to book an appointment. We can help give you the tools you need to cope with fears and improve your mental (and dental) health.