Dental anxiety is a prevalent issue that causes the fear of dental exams and treatment in children and adults. In some cases, this feeling is so intense that it influences one to avoid visiting a dentist for teeth cleaning and checkups. It is vital to fight anxiety and develop ways to reduce it to avoid adverse oral health effects. Lovett Dental Sharpstown provides various sedation dentistry options to help you feel comfortable and at ease during appointments.
What Causes Dental Anxiety?
The most common cause of dental anxiety is pain a patient may experience during and after an appointment. In most instances, people relate the tension to a past painful or uncomfortable dental procedure. Those who have never visited a dentist can also develop it after learning about horrifying dental experiences.
Anesthesia can cause side effects such as nausea and dizziness, which often vary from one patient to another. Patients who experience a severe adverse reaction are likely to have more dental anxiety than those who do not feel these undesirable effects.
Dental care involves procedures that may intrude personal space and lead to a feeling of lack of control. These practices can also increase anxiety, especially if one feels insecure about their mouth appearance and odor. Another cause of dental fear is the discomfort associated with the insertion of needles in the mouth when numbing the gum.
How to Ease Dental Anxiety
Easing dental anxiety can help a patient feel confident and comfortable during oral care procedures. One effective way to deal with this feeling is to talk to a dentist about it before an appointment. This information can help the expert develop various ways to lessen tension, such as using a sedative. It also allows establishing a signal to use in case of any pain, tiredness, or discomfort during an exam.
Apart from that, it is crucial to share any bad experiences you may have had during or after the previous appointment. Such include an adverse reaction to a sedative or medication and severe pain after a dental procedure.
Taking your mind off a dental exam can be challenging when feeling nervous, but some practices are ideal distractions. For example, listening to music can slow the heart rate and block noise from dentistry appliances, reducing anxiety. Other techniques one can use to reduce dental fear are:
- Using mindfulness techniques like meditation before an appointment
- Bringing along a friend or family member for moral support
- Learning about various dental procedures and their benefits
- Familiarizing yourself with the tools that cause fear, like injections and drills
- Observing proper oral hygiene to prevent feeling insecure during an exam
- Exploring sedation options that have less or no side effects
Signs of Dental Anxiety
Feeling anxious before a dental appointment is common, but some signs may indicate that you have dental anxiety. For example, you may experience an increase in heart palpitations and excess palm or feet sweating. In some instances, this fear can decrease blood pressure and cause dizziness or loss of consciousness.
Missing appointments and coming up with excuses not to undergo a dental procedure is another sign of anxiety. You may also feel stressed and sick, then lack sleep the night before a dental session. More symptoms of dental anxiety include:
- Feeling vulnerable during dental exams
- Crying before a session
- Experiencing panic attacks
- Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of a dentist visit
- Using humor and aggression to hide the fear
Contact Lovett Dental Sharpstown Now for Sedation Dentistry Services
Dental anxiety can influence you to avoid essential oral healthcare procedures and affect your well-being. At Lovett Dental Sharpstown, we apply various techniques to help you feel at ease during an appointment. Some of these measures include using anesthesia to numb the mouth and consulting with a patient before performing any procedure. We also assess our client’s health to determine if they may have an allergic reaction to any of the products used. Contact Lovett Dental Sharpstown at 281-975-5560 today for quality sedation dentistry services.
