Nervous About Your Upcoming Dental Appointment?

Covid has meant a delay in seeing a dentist for many. For anxious patients, this can be a real problem….

Covid had many negative effects, with severe illness and even death amongst them. It has affected many areas of our lives and may do, at least to some extent, for some time to come. Although dentists across the UK are now getting back to something like normal, there are still patients who haven’t seen their dentist for some time due to the restrictions that were put on practices at the peak of the pandemic. Inevitably, for some, this will mean the need for treatments that could otherwise have been avoided. For nervous dental patients, the very thought of this can be enough to fill them with fear.

The real danger is that patients who are afraid of seeing a dentist may decide that after not visiting for a long time, and especially if they have had no obvious problems, simply decide not to go anymore. Whilst this might seem understandable, it is a ‘head in the sand’ approach that will almost inevitably backfire at some point in the not too distant future. For those considering this approach, we hope that the following advice from our Alexandra Dental Care dentists will be helpful.

Should you stay away?

The simple answer to this is ‘no’. Dental appointments are not there to scare you but are a necessary step to ensure that you maintain a healthy mouth. Dentistry is not just about preventing tooth decay, though it  does, obviously, include this. It is also about problems like gum disease which, aside from oral care issues, has increasingly been linked with other serious medical illnesses such as heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease, and also to check for any possible indications of oral cancers. Early detection is key in both of these issues and starting treatment as soon as possible should bring about the most positive outcome for the patient.

Even leaving aside these important issues, almost everyone who has neglected their teeth will tell you that they really wish that they hadn’t. Aside from any discomfort caused by toothache etc, having a poor set of teeth can take a lot of enjoyment from your life. From difficulties in eating certain foods to a lack of confidence in smiling, poor quality teeth can have a significant negative impact on your life, and one that is quite unnecessary with regular care.

That’s all very well, but I’m scared….

Dental phobia is very real and something that we witness in some of our Burton and Ashby patients on a fairly regular basis. Anxiety can range from a slight jitteriness and tenseness in the person, to more significant issues such as palpitations and sweating. If you suffer from anxiety, you are far from alone. Dentists are used to this and there is no need to feel embarrassed about it. Our team is trained in treating nervous dental patients and most find that the calm and friendly nature of our dentists is enough to relax them so that they can receive their treatment, even if the anxiety doesn’t disappear altogether.

It is worth remembering too, that although you might feel anxious and worried about your appointment, any treatment needed is likely to be less extensive than if you don’t attend the appointment and instead allow the problem to worsen before you are forced to confront your fears because you are in so much pain with a toothache.

Helping your dental anxiety

As we mentioned above, we are here to help you receive any treatment that you need in as relaxed a way as we possibly can. Our dentists can help with this but there are also a few things that you can do yourself to ease any anxiety that you might have,

A few simple things that some patients have told us works for them include.

• Relaxation and breathing exercises, especially before the appointment
• Take someone with you to distract you from your thoughts whilst waiting to see the dentist
• Arrive on time so that you aren’t already rushing and anxious, but not so early that you have too much time to think whilst waiting
• Use ‘visualisation’ techniques and try to focus on a holiday destination or similar instead of any treatment you are receiving
• Keep in mind that most treatments don’t last long and then it will all be over

Sedation dentistry

There is another option for patients that suffer from bad dental anxiety and that is IV sedation. Despite this sometimes being referred to as ‘sleep dentistry’, it doesn’t actually put you to sleep, but leaves you feeling extremely relaxed which makes any procedure much easier for both patient and dentist. If you do have this, you will need to bring someone with you to take you home, and you should plan not to work or do anything significant for around 24 hours whilst the sedative leaves your system.

If you haven’t see a dentist for some time and are finding that your anxieties are building up to a point where you are considering not going, please don’t do this and instead, if you live in the Ashby, Swadlincote or Burton areas, contact us instead so that we can discuss your available options with us.

To talk to us about your dental anxiety or to arrange an appointment with us, please call Alexandra Dental Care on 01283 216347.

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