Dental anxiety is common among both children and adults. In fact, it’s often worse for adults because they’ve had more years to develop their fears. However, most of these fears aren’t based on reality or experience, and almost all of them can be overcome. Here are some tips for handling dental anxiety if you’ve got an upcoming tooth removal appointment.

Learn As Much As You Can About Tooth Removal

They say that knowledge is power, and that’s often the case when it comes to dealing with anxiety. Often, dental anxiety is fuelled by a fear of the unknown. So, learning more about the tooth removal process can set your mind at ease.

Your dentist is the perfect place to start. You can ask them all the questions you like, and have them explain the process to you from start to finish. They’ll even let you know what to expect before and afterwards.

When learning, however, stick to legitimate medical materials rather than some less-reputable corners of the internet. Stumbling across people’s tooth removal horror stories won’t help to keep your anxiety under control.

Let Your Dentist Know You’re Feeling Anxious

While discussing the tooth removal process, it’s important to let your dentist know that you’re feeling anxious. The team at Dental Maroubra, for example, works with all patients, no matter how worried they may feel. And if we know in advance, we can tailor the experience to make it more comfortable for you.

It’s also good to discuss any specific concerns or fears you may have. For many people, the dental work itself isn’t the issue, but rather the needle used for administering local anaesthetic. Your dentist can use a numbing gel to make the entire process much easier.

Bring a Support Person With You

You don’t have to face your fears alone, especially at your dental clinic Maroubra. We’ve worked hard to create a welcoming, friendly environment that reduces people’s anxiety. However, we also know that there’s nothing quite like the comfort of a familiar face or hand to hold. So, we’re more than happy for you to bring along a friend or family member who can help put your mind at ease.

Naturally, the person must not interfere with the procedure, but even knowing you’ve got a loved one sitting in the room can help to reduce feelings of dental anxiety.

Schedule A Time That You Won’t Feel Stressed

Stress and anxiety often go hand-in-hand, so if you’re already anxious about the dentist you don’t need any additional stress. Of course, you can’t predict all stressful situations. But you certainly can plan ahead to reduce the risks. For example, leaving early for your appointment ensures that traffic delays or difficulty finding a car park don’t affect you. If you’re able to take the afternoon off work so you’ve got nothing to worry about after the appointment, this can also be helpful.

Obviously, everybody handles stress differently, but if you can anticipate potential issues that might be stressful, don’t book your dentist appointment around the same time. For many, early morning appointments are best because they have less time to dwell on the upcoming appointment.

Consider Relaxation Techniques

There are a range of relaxation techniques you can consider to help manage your dental anxiety. Whether it’s deep breathing, meditation or another form of relaxation, it can be worth using them before your appointment. It’s important to remember that everybody experiences anxiety at different times. Many people find they feel much better once they arrive at our clinic. Some are still a little anxious in the waiting room, but our dentists always put their minds at ease. So, have a few relaxation tricks up your sleeve, and use them when you need them most.

Use Distractions

Finally, if nothing else works, distractions might be just the thing. Ask your dentist if you can bring headphones to listen to music or audiobooks. Many dentists provide screens, TVs and other distraction techniques to keep your mind off the procedure. In fact, even knowing that you’ve got some distractions handy can help to reduce anxiety in the lead-up to your tooth removal.

Maintain Regular Checkups

While regular dental checkups are essential for many reasons, it’s also a good way to deal with dental anxiety. By visiting the dentist regularly, you’ll enjoy better oral health, but you’ll also feel a little more comfortable each time. You can become more familiar with the surroundings, the staff members and the dentist, which can have a calming effect if you need something more serious like tooth removal.

Of course, the main benefit of attending the dentist regularly is that you can catch minor issues before they become more serious. This can help to avoid a range of painful conditions and also saves you money on treatments.

Need to Visit Your Dental Clinic Maroubra?

If you experience oral health concerns, it’s crucial to have them checked as soon as possible. Otherwise, the issues become worse and lead to treatments like tooth removal. At Dental Avenue, we’ve created a safe, warm and welcoming environment where every member of the family feels comfortable. So, if you experience dental anxiety but need to see a dentist, contact our friendly team today. You can even let us know if you feel anxious, and our team will provide any information you need to make the visit easier.

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