Oral health is considered one of the most crucial aspects of your overall physical and mental well-being. To maintain your oral health and integrity it is advised to visit the dentist every six months. But dental fear and anxiety can deprive you of the much-deserved dental care. Fear of visiting a dentist has been clinically termed dentophobia.
The quality dental care in Tukwila offered by a team of skilled dental professionals helps overcome dental fear and anxiety. They provide compassionate care to make you relaxed and comfortable during your dental visits and procedures.
Understanding dental fear and anxiety
Phobias are a type of anxiety disorder that leads to excessive fear of a person, an event, or a situation that is not harmful. Dentophobia manifests as an extreme fear and a feeling of anxiety before a dental appointment. This could occur irrespective of counseling or repeated efforts to make you feel comfortable. Dentophobia often leads to avoiding the dentist altogether, which could negatively impact your oral health.
Causes
Dental fear and anxiety can manifest due to the following triggering factors:
- Negative feelings associated with the dentist.
- Sparking a phobia in you by hearing others’ negative experiences and fears
- The thought of a needle prick during the administration of anesthesia.
- Fear of bleeding (hemophobia) during dental procedures.
- The annoying sound of dental instruments like fillers, scalers, or drills
- The fear of going through pain and discomfort during the procedures
- Smell or aroma that arise due to dental products (such as dental cement, disinfectants, etc.) during your treatment
Useful coping tips for dental fear and anxiety
Several tips can help you cope with dentophobia during your therapies, which include:
- Inform your dentist about your fears and keep them in the loop so that your dentist can manage your fears effectively
- Ask a friend or a family member to accompany you during your dental visits.
- Visit your dentist during a less busy time of the day, preferably during the morning hours. This ensures less noise from other dental instruments and machines.
- Bring noise-blocking headphones, earbuds, or earphones with music to help you calm down.
- Practice deep breathing techniques to relax yourself
Conclusion
Dental fear and anxiety can lead to distress. It can lead to avoiding the dentist which may negatively impact your oral health and increase your risk of oral problems. This fear and anxiety should not be ignored and addressed appropriately to find effective solutions. Fortunately, several tips can help you cope with it so that you can enjoy the deserved oral care. But it requires patience and consistency to gradually win over your anxiety to a point where you no longer avoid getting the oral care you need.
