How to Overcome Your Dental Anxiety with Confidence

When Fear of the Dentist Strikes, Strike Back with Confidence.

Our team at Beaufils Dental has encountered their fair share of patients who experience dental anxiety when visiting us. It’s a feeling that can drive many people to keep a formidable distance from their nearest dental office. If you experience a similar feeling when thinking about your next dental visit, don’t worry: it’s a perfectly normal reaction.

Some people go months, even years, without visiting their dentist simply over the fear of what they may experience. We all know avoiding the dentist can be detrimental to oral health in the long run; why not find healthy and productive ways to move past the stress? Maintaining a healthy smile requires routine dental visits, and while the idea of facing the dental chair head-on can be nerve wrecking, there are ways to fight it. Let’s look at some ways you can overcome your dental anxiety and schedule your next visit with confidence.

If You’re Feeling Anxious Before a Dental Visit, Try This.

Talk it out: Feeling anxious or scared about an upcoming visit? Communication is key. Our team holds patient communication to the highest regard. Expressing your concerns about a procedure can help combat your dental anxiety significantly. Communicating with office staff can even allow them to adjust treatment to better suit your needs. Most of the time, patients arrive at our office expecting the absolute worst and leave surprisingly pleased with how comfortable they felt during the procedure.

One topic in particular that we like to bring up to patients experiencing dental anxiety is that our office recruits the use of advanced, 3D dental imaging services for our procedures. 3D dental imaging helps us cut down procedure recovery time in half–an advantage that helps our patients feel more at ease during their visit.

Avoid sugary foods/drinks: Every dental patient should stay away from foods and drinks packed with artificial sugars. However, those who are particularly stressed about facing the dental chair may turn to these comfort foods for an extra boost of energy–not knowing that this has the adverse effect on your nerves. If you’re feeling stressed before a dental visit, consuming sugary foods or drinks will only heighten adrenaline levels. Instead, choose foods that are high in protein, which produce a calming effect. This fun infographic from Live Strong illustrates some foods you can consume leading up to your next visit to help reduce dental anxiety:

Listen to soothing music: We encourage our Cooper City patients to unwind with some music while sitting in our dental chair. Bring a portable music player to listen to some calming music during your procedure. You can also build a playlist of your favorite songs for a distracting “jam” session. Not only does this drown out the unsettling sound of dental drills and suction tools, but music serves as a healthy distraction from your dental anxiety. Studies even shown the listening to music is a powerful stress and anxiety reliever for surgical patients.

Beaufils Dental is committed to providing a positive experience for all of our Cooper City patients–this includes making sure our patients are comfortable during their visit. If your dental anxiety is preventing you from practicing safe oral health, it’s time to consult a dental office that can help address your concerns and ease your stress. When it comes to the safety of your smile, consistency is a major factor in long-term results.

To learn more about how we can help you overcome dental anxiety and maintain a healthy smile, call us today at 954-252-1390 for some friendly tips.