Ways to Manage Dental Anxiety That Don’t Include Dodging Your Dentist

A lot of people are afraid of going to the dentist and are at a loss for what to do in terms of calming down before their appointment. Our staff takes great pride in helping our patients to feel at ease at the beginning, middle, and end of their appointments, whether it’s a six-month check-up on a healthy set of teeth or a procedure that is much more involved.

Listed below are a few things you can do that might help to ease the tension if you or someone you know suffers from dental anxiety,. 

Let Your Dentist Know How You Feel

Ways to Manage Dental Anxiety That Don’t Include Dodging Your Dentist

Be open about what you are afraid of or worried about. This gives your dentist the opportunity to understand where you are coming from and to respond to you in a way that is calming and beneficial to the situation.  

Plan Ahead

When you schedule your next appointment, don’t pick a day where you are super busy or where you have someplace else to be immediately after your appointment. This will give your body and your nervous system a better chance to actually relax. 

Be Careful What You Eat and Drink 

Steer clear of food that is high in sugar or caffeine. Both of these ingredients are known to make you agitated and will only exacerbate your dental anxiety. Try sipping some water with fruit in it or maybe a hot cup of caffeine-free tea. 

Learn Some Deep Breathing Techniques 

“Remember to breathe” sounds like such a silly thing to say but anxiety can cause you to hold your breath without even realizing it. Deep, even breathing is an important part of keeping calm during any stressful situation. This is one of the reasons that Lamaze breathing is often taught to expecting mothers. There are many different breathing techniques that you can practice and see if any of them helps to calm your nerves.

Make and Keep Regular Dental Appointments

Anxiety about your oral health might be enough to stop someone from feeling comfortable at the dentist. Seeing your dentist at least two times a year as recommended can help the situation feel more familiar to you and cut down on the number of unknown variables you have to face.

If your dental anxiety is so severe that it is stopping you from getting necessary dental treatments, your oral health will suffer and eventually begin to break down over time. Instead,  you should schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as you can and explain the situation. Let them work with you to discover the best way for your mouth to get the attention it needs without making you anxiety-ridden and uncomfortable. 

Here at Curtis L. Chan, DDS, we want to help you and your family do everything possible to have and preserve healthy teeth and gums. With regular San Diego dental appointments and consistent, routine care, your whole family will easily maintain teeth that are healthy, strong, and effective.

The respected professionals at our San Diego dental offices are here to address any concerns you may have regarding common dental procedures, as well as preventative, cosmetic, or restorative dentistry. We also provide sedation dentistry treatments as an option for our patients with severe dental anxiety.

It is our job to help you and your family establish healthy dental habits to make sure that your teeth will always be there when you need them and your smile will always look great.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with a dentist in Del Mar, please give us a call at (858) 481-9090 and speak with a trained member of our dental staff today.

 

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