Tips To Relax Before Seeing The Dentist
Many people have a hard time relaxing in the dentist's chair. In fact, some people are so nervous about seeing the dentist that they're willing to put off important dental care. Delaying dental care is counterproductive. Putting off routine trips to the dentist can contribute to the degradation of your oral health and make seeing the dentist even more stressful when you do go. These tips will help you relax before and during your time at the dentist, making routine dental work less stressful for you as a patient.
Prepare for your Visit
Spend fifteen or twenty minutes before your trip to the dentist listening to calming music and breathing deeply. If you meditate, spend time meditating before you leave the house. This way you'll be in a good place mentally when you go to your dentist appointment.
Bring something with you to help you relax. An MP3 player loaded with relaxing music is a useful thing to have while the dentist and dental hygienist are working on your teeth. If you need a stress ball to clutch or a lucky token to help you feel at ease, bring that as well.
Talk to your Dentist about Your Fears
Your dentist can't help you relax if he or she doesn't know how you feel. Once your dentist knows about your fears, your dentist can make special accommodations for you as a patient. Dentists encounter this kind of problem from time to time, and many dentists have a range of tricks they use to help comfort nervous patients.
There are many things your dentist can do to help you relax. It's possible that your dentist needs to change his or her tone when speaking to you about your teeth. He or she may need to spend extra time before each cleaning giving tips and advice to help you keep your teeth clean. Your dentist may even need to work more slowly during your cleanings.
Ask your Dentist about Sedation Dentistry
Sedation dentistry is the practice of giving anxious patients mild sedation before a procedure. This sedation is enough to help the patient relax, but isn't enough to knock the patient unconscious or cause the patient to become disoriented. Sedation dentistry is useful in extreme cases when patients are unable to relax with more conventional methods. If you think that you could benefit from sedation dentistry, speak with your dentist to find out more.
It's important to feel comfortable at the dentist, so speak with your dentist at your next appointment. Once you've found the relaxation method that works for you, your trips to the dentist will be more enjoyable. To learn more, contact a company like Robert W Fornalczyk DDS with any questions you have.