Overcome Your Dental Phobia

For some it may be intimidating going to a dentist. It may merely be for a regular checkup or a procedure. There are people who are known to suffer from dental phobia that leads to hypertension and anxiety attacks.
This is not an unusual phenomenon and is pretty common. However, there are ways to tackle it in spite of the anxiety attacks, one can also be seen and taken care of or have procedures done.

Ways to Handle Your Dental Phobia

• During a visit, let your dentist know about your phobia and also that you have anxiety attacks when it comes to dental exams.
• If you have a medical condition, make sure to inform your dentist about it. More so if you suffer from a heart condition.
• If you are unsure of certain equipment your dentist uses, do ask him or her to explain them to you, as that may reduce your anxiety a bit, making you comfortable. At the same time, ask them to explain the procedures to you in layman’s words so it is clear and you do not feel much anxiety at all.

A Typical Dental Exam and Cleaning

When it comes to examinations it is good to know that your dentist will examine the neck, jaw and facial area, including salivary glands and lymph nodes. The dentists check for any kind of abnormalities or inflammations that may happen in this area that could be a potential problem. They also check the soft mouth tissues, the dentures and the gums in detail as well. On a regular basis, x-rays are taken, which may cause a little gagging but helps understand a deep rooted problem.
On an annual cleaning, your dentist will clean the tarter or black marks that accumulate on the enamel over a period of time. They have tools to scrape them and remove the stubborn stains as well. Once that is done the teeth are cleaned with an electronic rotating brush that breaks and removes the dirt and grime, leaving them absolutely sparkling clean.
Being aware of these will take care of some of the dental phobia and anxiety problems that you suffer from. It is best to overcome your fears by talking to your dentist rather than keeping things pent up inside.

Dental Relaxation Helps in Dental Procedures

Dental relaxation has helped patients all over the world who are fearful of oral procedures. It helps to treat patients who suffer from anxiety attacks before or during a procedure. Dental relaxation provides a complete relaxed atmosphere and ensures that the patient can undergo the treatment without any form of anxiety attacks.

Creating a Relaxing Environment

This form of therapy is not only about providing medical relaxation, but also creating a relaxing atmosphere to ensure that the experience is comfortable and anxiety-free. Dental relaxation or sedation dentistry is a proven way of keeping the patient calm and relaxed with the help of sedatives used by the dentists during the duration of the procedures. The sedatives that are used are tranquilizers, nitrous oxide and anti-anxiety medications and are legal and safe. The sedatives are usually administered orally or even through intravenous or the IV method, depending on the comfort level of the patient.

Get a Pre-Treatment Consultation

Depending on the medical history of the patient, age and health factors a dentist may advise dental relaxation or sedation dentistry. A thorough pre-treatment consultation is done by the dentist to discuss the entire procedure with the patient. Different patients may react to different forms of sedatives. The dentist suggest the most acceptable form of sedative and advice on the dos and don’ts before undergoing the procedure of sedation dentistry.

Benefits of Dental Relaxation

Sedation dentistry is extremely beneficial for those who are to undergo lengthy and painful procedures. Oral surgeries – big or small – are often conducted with the help of sedation dentistry. It helps the dentists to perform the entire procedure without any interruptions or having to deal with anxiety attacks. From the point of view of the dentist, he or she can conduct the entire procedure with complete concentration and focus. From the patient’s perspective, he or she gets medical attention without having to worry about any pain, and in turn build back confidence in oral procedures.