Do You Suffer With Dental Anxiety?

From mild to severe; many patients experience a degree of apprehension when a dental visit is due. We can help.

Although most people accept that seeing a dentist is an important thing to do and one that will help to keep their mouths healthy and perhaps help them have an attractive smile too, these visits often come attached with a degree of anxiety. A fear of the dentist is almost as common as a fear of flying and whilst we can choose not to go on an aeroplane, it really is a bad idea to choose not to see a dentist.

Most people that suffer from anxiety when an appointment is due possibly feel not only nervous, but potentially embarrassed too. We know that our fears are largely unfounded yet we just can’t stop feeling anxious and often display symptoms of it when we sit in the chair awaiting treatment.  We can assure you that you needn’t feel embarrassed and that we see a lot of nervous patients each week at Alexandra Dental Care. Some of these are only mild but we do also come across a number of folk who feel very anxious indeed.

Why do people feel nervous?

It is generally thought that the reason that dental visits cause such anxiety is that the dentist will be working in the oral cavity which is closely connected to the other senses. Not only can we feel the dental implement in our mouth but we can see the procedure happening right in front of our eyes. We can hear the whining sound of the drill as it happens so close to our ears and can even smell some aspects of the treatment too. It is not surprising then that we experience some anxiety.

Whilst some of our Ashby and Burton patients only experience mild anxiety and certainly nothing that stops them receiving treatment, there are others who may cancel an appointment rather than face their fears. Nervous patients are also often more difficult to treat as they tend to move around more or pull away during treatment. This obviously makes it more difficult for the dentist but also prolongs the treatment for the patient which only adds to the anxiety.

How to deal with fear

Fear is important and is why we move away from dangerous situations rather than walk straight into them. Some of us obviously see their oral care, at least subconsciously, as a ‘threat’. Whilst others might acknowledge their fear but also understand the need to receive treatment, others unfortunately might ‘walk away’. There are a number of things that some patients find help with their anxiety and these might work for you; if not to actually overcome your fear, then reduce it sufficiently to have your treatment. A few of these are suggested below.

Breathing and distraction techniques

Once you are in the dentist’s chair, the treatment usually doesn’t take too long, even if it feels that it does. Try breathing slowly and in a relaxed manner, focussing on something nice .. perhaps a recent holiday. Silently repeating a ‘mantra’ to yourself (without moving your mouth of course) might help too. This could be an affirming one or simply what you are going to do that evening.

The above can also be applied prior to your appointment and relaxation or meditation might help to lower your general anxiety levels on a more consistent basis rather than just surrounding your appointment.

Bringing music to listen to might help both before and during treatment.  You will need to use headphones of course and also need to check with your dentist whether you can do this. Some treatments might require significant communication between dentist and patient and listening to music is unlikely to be an option in this situation.

IV sedation

There is another option which is popular with the most nervous patients and can also be used where the treatment is of a lengthier nature, such as dental implant placements. This option is IV sedation, also sometimes referred to as ‘sleep dentistry’. This isn’t an entirely correct interpretation though as you will not fall asleep, unlike in the days of using gas, but will enter a state of very deep relaxation. This not only makes you feel very relaxed but many patients tell us, makes the time seem to fly by too.

The sedative is administered intravenously and after a short period of time, you will feel extremely relaxed. This enables us to carry out any necessary work without having to deal with the patient’s anxiety and also makes for a more pleasant experience for the patient.

Although it will not put you to sleep, it will make you very drowsy and will remain in your system for approximately 24 hours. This does mean that if you have this, you will need to bring a responsible adult with you to look after you afterwards and make sure that you get home safely. You will definitely not be able to drive and even walking or using public transport alone is not recommended. You should also not operate machinery and we would recommend that you take time off work until it has left your system.

Even if you don’t wish to have IV sedation, you can still be sure that we take care of all of our Burton and Ashby patients who are nervous about their treatment. We do understand how this can make people feel and always take our time to be as gentle as possible and work with you to make sure you have the best experience possible.

However nervous you are about seeing a dentist, we are always happy to see you and help you to receive the treatment you need in as comfortable a way as possible. If you would like to discuss this with us, please call Alexandra Dental Care on 01283 216347.

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