Help Ease Dental Anxiety With These Tips

Posted on: 9 January 2015

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Being a little nervous when you go to the dentist is not uncommon. A survey pointed out that up to 24 percent of the world has some type of anxiety when they see the dentist. Your dentist should have some suggestions to help you overcome this anxiety. And the following tips will also be helpful. 

Get Control Over Your Visit

Experts have noticed that your anxiety level is dramatically decreased when you have control over your dental visit. You can get this control with the help of your dentist and the following:

  1. Make sure that you know what you are going to feel and how long you will experience it. 
  2. Have your dentist notify you before continuing with each part of the procedure. 
  3. You can come up with a signal that will tell your dentist that you do not want the procedure to continue. Maybe you will have to tap your hand on the arm rest or give some other sign.

The aforementioned are just some of the things that a dentist can do to give you control and help you feel better about the visit. There are other methods to shift power that your dentist may be aware of. Just make sure you let him or her know about your anxieties. 

Sedation and Natural Relaxers

Ask your dentist if you can be sedated during the process. You need to make sure that the dentist is qualified to use sedatives while working on your oral cavity, as it is a delicate art. 

You can also try natural relaxers should you be uncomfortable with anesthetics. The following are just a few relaxers that you can try:

  1. Try a little dark chocolate before visiting your dentist, or eat a bar as you wait. You have to make sure it is raw, dark chocolate. The reason is that milk chocolate manufacturers get rid of the husk of the cacao bean, where these relaxing ingredients lie. One of the ingredients is anandamide, which is a feel-good compound that your brain already produces. Chocolate just enhances the pleasant feelings that could offset your anxiety. Chocolate also contains compounds that produce more opiates in your brain to increase feelings of euphoria. 
  2. The next thing that you can try is a little vanilla. Believe it or not, research has noticed that the smell of vanilla can help reduce stress and anxiety. The reason is that due to vanilla's scent and your smell receptors that stimulate your brain, the smell of vanilla creates serotonin and other feel-good neurotransmitters. These feel-good neurotransmitters help diminish your anxiety and may help you cope with your dental visit better. 

Be sure to talk to your dentist about your dental care anxiety because he or she needs to be made aware of it. Your dentist is there to help, but you need to express your needs as well.