Conquering Your Dental Fears
Dental phobia? It’s not as uncommon as you think. There are literally thousands of people throughout the US who deal with a fear of the Austin dentist everyday, and there are a variety of different reasons behind that fear.
The most common reason behind your anxiety is previous bad experiences. Studies suggest 85% of dental phobias and the dentist office are related to bad experiences in the past. This can include something like a painful dental visit or humiliation by a dentist in the past. In fact, insensitive professionals are the second leading cause for anxiety in this situation. Because an off-hand remark by the hygienist or dentist can create negative feelings, people often avoid future appointments based on one bad experience. Physical pain is, of course, also a leading cause behind the anxiety. If you’ve had a few bad appointments, you may be worried that the pain will only continue, and it’s a good reason to be afraid. The other reason behind your dental anxiety, though, could be wholly unrelated to the dentist’s chair itself. Individuals who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or have an unrelated history of abuse may have a case of dental phobia because of their past emotional issues. It is very important to carefully choose an Austin family dentist.
No matter what the reason behind the fear, though, conquering it is the key to good oral health. These tips may help you tackle the issues head-on.
- The first step is to identify your fears. Understanding exactly what it is that you’re afraid of is the key to conquering it. Do some reading. You may even want to visit forums and bulletin boards where individuals can interact and overcome their fears on a psychological level before they head in for a cleaning or dental procedure. Your dentist will be able to answer your questions about ceramic veneers and dental bonding.
- The second step is to talk with Dr. Roach at your first appointment about some of your concerns. Together the two of you can create a plan of action to deal with your fears during each appointment. You may want to agree on a non verbal signal to stop treatment. You may also want to use relaxation methods like headphones with music. It can also be helpful to get regular reassurances from the dentist as he works. You might want to ask for extra time for each appointment to ensure you don’t feel rushed. Don’t hesitate to ask him about treatment for a chipped tooth.
- The final step, of course, is to work on continually overcoming your fear. Even if you conquer it once and make it to Dr. Roach’s office, it could still return before your next appointment. Fighting it through other techniques outside of the office is a must.
If none of these help, you may want to talk with Dr. Roach about sedation during dental procedures. It can be extremely useful when the fear of the chair is just too much. When you’re ready for great oral health and tackling your fears head-on, give us a call. We’ll set up a consultation session so you can get to know Dr Roach and our team before you ever hit the chair. Be sure and ask Dr. Roach about invisalign Austin and teeth whitening Austin. He can answer your questions about gum surgery too.
About the Author: Bobby Milton has worked in the dental industry for over 20 years and writes and lectures on many different dental topics
