Overcome Dental Anxiety With These Pointers

Serious dental anxiety prevents millions of Americans from having their teeth examined and cleaned by a dentist. While a trip to the dentist doesn’t always equate to experiencing pain, some patients had had painful encounters in the dentist’s chair, which trigger their dental anxiety and phobia.

Image source: defactodentists.com

An estimated nine to 15 percent of Americans avoid seeing the dentist due to their fear and anxiety, making dental anxiety and phobia extremely common. As phobia is an intense and unreasonable fear, some individuals put off dental cleaning and examinations for years, even decades. Dental phobia is a more serious condition than dental anxiety, and those who suffer from it are petrified or panic stricken.

Individuals with dental anxiety will experience nervousness when it’s time for their check-up with the dentist. In most cases, patients will have exaggerated or groundless fears or worries. There are dentists who specialize in treating fearful patients, and go out of their way to build a non-threatening atmosphere for the patient. Patients must know that they are in control, and heading to the best dentists would make them feel like they’re in control, as patients are afraid of losing control when on the dentist’s chair.

Dentists allow patients to be accompanied by a close friend or relative during a treatment to reduce the tension. Once a patient is on the chair, they must find something to veer their attention away from the procedure. Relaxation techniques like controlled breathing and progressive muscle relaxation would help a patient calm their nerves. Ask the dentists which sedatives are available for the procedure and review them.

Image source: huffpost.com

Dr. Kami Hoss, DDS, MS, holds a master’s degree in craniofacial biology and doctorate in dental surgery. He co-founded The Super Dentists with his business partner and wife Dr. Nazli Keri. For more updates from Dr. Kami Hoss, head over to this page.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Key reasons to watch out for gum disease

Image
medicinenet.com A person’s periodontal health says a lot about their overall health and wellbeing. Evidence shows us gum disease can become a catalyst for other conditions to arise and adversely impact one’s body. The role gum disease plays in the severity of COVID-19 when contracted is the most recent cause for alarm. In this blog post, Dr. Kami Hoss shares various reasons it is vital to watch for the signs of gum disease.     For individuals battling cancer, periodontal disease may be one of the most common harmful effects of cancer treatments. Experts have linked cancer to inflammation and inflammation to periodontal disease. People undergoing cancer treatment have reported adverse side effects, including oral mucositis, xerostomia, and osteoradionecrosis. Some of these treatments destroy healthy cells in the oral cavity. Cancer patients are encouraged to receive appropriate dental diagnosis and treatment to prevent periodontal disease before starting their first cancer treatmen
Read more

Tips on Selecting a Pediatric Dentist for Your Children

 Making regular trips to the dentist is an important part of children’s overall health. For parents who want help on how to choose a pediatric dentist for their kids, Dr. Kami Hoss lists some criteria they have to consider. Qualifications, certificates, and licenses The first things parents must check are the qualifications and certificates earned by the dental practitioner. The requirements vary in each state; hence, it is recommended to check the qualifications and certificates that dentists should hold in that state on the official government website. Parents should also check if the pediatric dentist has an active license and is legally allowed to run their practice. Fun and accommodating environment Going to a dental clinic can be anxiety-inducing for children. Even adults can feel uncomfortable about going in for dental check-ups or procedures. Parents must look for a dental clinic that can make their young ones feel safe and happy. Most pediatric dental practices allow paren
Read more

How dentists make charitable contributions

Image
  You’ve probably heard of Medicins Sans Frontieres or Doctors Without Borders and think about how professionals in the wider medical community do good. In case you’re wondering how dentists perform charitable services, you’ll be glad to know your orthodontists and dental hygienists have their way of giving back to the community.  Image source:  yourdentistryguide.com First and foremost, dentists also offer low-cost dental services to low-income individuals and families as their primary means of helping. If that isn’t enough, some dentists volunteer their time to work for free dental care clinics. These dentists know that dental care costs in the US can be expensive; that’s why they do this as a community service.  Another way that dentists help is by offering to rebuild the teeth of particularly disadvantaged segments of society like seniors and people with disabilities. The dental professionals who started the Give Back a Smile program, for example, work on the survivors of do
Read more