Having anxiety about being in the chair at your dentist is all too common. Whether you’re getting implants, a root canal, teeth cleaning or cosmetic work, it can cause a lot of worry before your appointment. If you’re meeting with a Burbank dentist from Provident Dental Group, you are in experienced hands. If you want to find ways to calm down before your next appointment, we have a few tips that may make your next visit with us that much easier.
One of the best ways for our dentists to help you during your visit is to share your fears with us. We understand how nerve wracking dental visits can be and if you are willing to open up to us we can guide you through our process and make sure that you’re comfortable. Another way to make it through your visit is to practice breathing techniques. It may sound silly but when you are anxious it can cause you to involuntarily hold your breath. This, in turn, decreases your oxygen levels and only works towards heightening your feelings of panic. Instead, you can try regular, slow breathing, focusing on your breathing can help calm you and reduce your stress.
A further way to control or reduce your stress while in the chair is to listen to music with noise canceling headphones. This is especially helpful if the sounds of the dental drill cause you stress. You should even set up hand signals with your dentist so that you can communicate without words when you’re feeling overwhelmed or want to take a break. If those options don’t sound appealing you can always take a moment to think about what causes your stress at the dentist. If you find that the times when you normally plan your teeth cleanings come during stressful rush hours or get in the way of important work matters it could cause you further anxiety due to your personal plans. If this is the case you should work out a time that is easier for you. It could be an afternoon off or a weekend morning where you don’t have other plans.
One last way of managing your dental chair stress is allowing it to happen. This might seem counterintuitive to your plans of reducing stress but there are ways to make it work. Some dental offices allow for sedation when you get routine procedures done. You can be put under mild or full sedation so that you don’t have to be stressed during your visit. This might seem like an extreme action to take but if you’ve exhausted all other routes it may be the answer. No matter what route you take you should keep in mind that your dentist from provident dental group in burbank will have years of experience in their fields. This also means they have worked with plenty of patients who have anxiety and fear about their dental appointments. Gaining control over your fears, and learning how to manage them can only benefit you and your oral health in the end.
