Now, it’s probably kind of obvious that a trip to the dentist for a procedure is not exactly on the top of everybody’s bucket list unless you actively enjoy strangers putting their hands in your mouth and stabbing your face with metal implements. Sorry.
For some people, however, this fear turns into a phobia and can be debilitating to the patient causing everything from nausea to panic attacks. Naturally, this isn’t a productive environment for your dentist to work in and it’s not a healthy situation for somebody with this type of phobia, so let’s look at a few ways you can help elevate the symptoms of this fear.
Tell Your Dentist!
If you suffer from a phobia of dental procedures then it is absolutely essential you let your dentist know.
The chances are you’re not the only patient on his books who have this kind of fear and it’s something that he not only will be used to in his physical experience but increasingly they are teaching dentists the importance of good bedside manner and the benefits of calming your patient down as much as possible before a procedure in Dentistry School.
So just relax and calmly explain to the dentist that you are slightly apprehensive and they will do their best to take that into account as they work.
Get a Good nights sleep
Being relaxed in the dentists is important, not just for your own anxiety but also for your dentist to work effectively and safely he needs to be able to be confident that you are not going to panic, move or otherwise make other unexpected movements.
Often time’s people who suffer from a phobia of dentists know they have an appointment in the morning and will not sleep the night before in apprehension. This is detrimental to you relaxing at the dentist while he is working, some dentists will even prescribe sedative the night before the procedure and then again just before to ensure that you sleep enough.
Painless injections
It’s long been known that you can have a shot of the aptly named “freeze” to drastically reduce the amount of feeling in your mouth which in turn causes less pain; this can also be a very effective strategy for people with over-sensitive mouths.
However, to some these injections cause more panic than pain relief with the fear of injections sometimes being worse than the fear of the dentists. Many practitioners are frequently turning to a new invention called “the wand” to administer these injections, they are a device which allows for a slow and steady injection at a speed that causes significantly less pain and discomfort.
We hope this at least gives you some ideas for next time you have to visit the dentist
