How to Get Treatment When You Have Dental Anxiety

Going to the dentist is not, for most patients, an enjoyable experience – however, it is necessary for oral hygiene and health, with both the long and short term impacts of poor dental health and hygiene affecting your smile, ability to eat, and quality of life.

From your first ever dental appointment as a baby to the kinds of treatments that adults require to keep their teeth looking good, there are all sorts of methods employed by dentists – and that means there are all sorts of things to be wary or nervous about as well.

To help you combat dental anxiety and to ensure that your fear of the dentist doesn’t stop you from booking regular dental check-ups and oral hygiene appointments, we’ve compiled these tips as one of the leading dentists in Essex. First up – communication.  

Our number one tip, derived from years of experience with hundreds of anxious patients, is to speak up if you are feeling nervous and let your dentist or consultant know. If the dentist knows that you are nervous, they can talk you through what they are going to do and take your treatment or check-up appointment slowly to ensure that you are comfortable throughout.

Reviews and testimonials can prove invaluable to those clients who want to ensure that they are visiting a dentist who will listen and respond to their anxiety in a caring way, with our team at Bluebell Dentistry & Aesthetics renowned for their attention to client comfort and ease. 

Is it the potential for pain? Do you have sensitive teeth that you don’t want the dentist to touch? Are you scared that dental treatment will damage your smile in some way?

Identifying what it is that makes you feel anxious about the dentist is the best way to overcome the fear, by helping you to find an actionable solution.

Some dental practices mount pictures and paintings on the ceiling above the dentist chair, to distract clients and give them something to look at. Alternatively, meditation and breathing techniques can be a good way to help manage your anxiety, by giving you something to focus on – or why not consider taking someone with you who can talk to you during your treatment and make you feel at ease?

If your anxiety is really bad and you have tried all the aforementioned techniques, sedation may be the best way forward in terms of ensuring that appointments and treatments can be carried out efficiently and effectively by your dentist. This should be discussed with your dentist directly, who will be able to advise on the best way forward.

To discuss new appointments and treatment plans with Bluebell Dentistry & Aesthetics, reach out to us directly.