Dental anxiety is a common occurrence. In fact, around the United States, 26% of the population states that they know they are in need of dental care. They agree that with dental care their teeth would be in better condition, but refuse to seek out a dentist, other than in an emergency, because of their anxiety about visiting one. We have found that even among people that do make a habit of visiting the dentist, there is a sense of anxiety that is pervasive. Between 9% and 20% of all our patients admit to having anxiety, which ranges from mild to the border of panic attacks, when they have to have a procedure done. For patients who experience this kind of anxiety, but are willing to go to the dentist anyway, much of the anxiety springs from the unknown. Not knowing what condition your teeth are in, what the dentist might find, or what remedies might be needed to bring your teeth back to perfect health is a significant cause of concern. At the dental office, we have found there are three very important things you can do which, if you commit to them, will actually help you to start overcoming your anxiety of dentistry.
How our dental office can help you to overcome some of your anxiety -
The first thing we will help you to understand is what we do, how we do it, and the tools that we use to complete our dental procedures. Knowledge and anxiety are natural enemies, so the more you learn about what we do and the measures we go through to ensure your safety and comfort, the less likely you are to be afraid of receiving dental care. We hope you will ask a lot of questions in your quest to become more familiar with dentistry. Second, we will help you to isolate what your fears actually are. No anxiety is all encompassing. With dental anxiety, we have found that it tends to start from smaller sources, like a fear of experiencing discomfort. While this kind of anxiety is no less intense, it is something that we can isolate and work to prevent. Finally, we encourage building familiarity by scheduling bi-annual cleanings and examinations. When you make it a habit to come in at least 2 times a year, you start to get familiar with the tools and people in our office. As you go through non-invasive and relaxing procedures, you will start to realize that there is nothing to fear from our dental office. If you need additional assistance, we can discuss your options for medication and sedation.
