Dental anxiety is real and so many people suffer from it. It can at times get so bad that you end up skipping dental visits altogether. We all know what happens when you skip your dental visits – your dental situation gets worse and you end up spending more.
A report found that about 40-75% of people suffer from dental anxiety. That insane! But why is this the case? Why do so many people experience dental anxiety? What is it? And how can you get rid of it?
What is dental anxiety?
Dental anxiety simply refers to feelings of fear, anxiety or stress that one experiences when they’re about to visit a dentist. You may not be scared of the dentist in person, but what most people fear is the actual dental procedure and tools such as needles. This causes patients to cancel dental appointments, which in turn makes the situation worse.
What causes dental anxiety?
Dental anxiety can be caused by a myriad of issues such as:
- Past traumatic healthcare experiences.
- Generalised disorders such as depression, anxiety or even post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Some patients also view their mouths as a personal area, hence view access to it as an invasion of their privacy.
- Not trusting their dentists.
- Some patients fear losing control or freaking out during the dental procedure.
- Some patients also fear injections and needles.
Dental anxiety isn’t something you can overcome that easily. Also, you need to know that you’re not the only one who experiences this. There are lots of people also experiencing this out there. The good news is, dental anxiety is very much manageable and you can actually overcome it by following the below dental anxiety tips:
How to get rid of dental anxiety
Here are some tips on how to get rid of dental anxiety during your next dental visit:
- Visit your dentist when it is less busy e.g. in the morning hours. Why? Because there will be fewer patients at that time. Also, there will be fewer tools that make noises around the clinic to trigger your anxiety. If you visit your dentist when it’s busy, chances are, your anxiety will increase in anticipation.
- Music cures. Ensure you bring along your headphones or ear buds to cancel outside noise and to help you relax.
- Ask a loved one or a friend to accompany you during the dental visit.
- Meditation and deep breathing. These techniques can greatly help calm your nerves before the actual dental procedure.
