One in four of us dreads a visit to the dentist, but there are ways to overcome your fear.
Being afraid of the dentist means different things to different people. Maybe it's the thought that treatment will hurt, or that the sounds and smells bring back memories of bad experiences as a child.
The good news is that more and more dentists understand their patients' fears. With a combination of kindness and gentleness, they can do a lot to make dental treatment stress free.
Dental advances
If you haven't seen a dentist for several years because of fear or anxiety, be reassured that you should find the experience more bearable nowadays.
Most people who are scared of the dentist have bad memories from childhood of the smells and sounds of the surgery. Modern dental surgeries are much friendlier environments, with flowers in the waiting room, art on the walls, a pleasant reception area and polite staff.
It's altogether a gentler experience. Of course, you'll still have the smells and sounds of the dental surgery but these are less noticeable than they used to be with instruments hidden from sight and background music playing. Even drills aren't as noisy as they used to be.
Advances in technology have also improved dentistry. Treatment can now be completely painless.
8 tips to ease the dental fear
If you're anxious about seeing the dentist, here are tips to ease the fear:
- Find an understanding dentist. Ask friends and family if they can recommend one or look for someone who advertises themselves as an expert with anxious patients.
- Once you've found someone you think may be suitable, visit the surgery to have a look around, meet the receptionist and dentist and see the environment. Tell the dentist that you're anxious so they know beforehand.
- Pick an appointment time early in the morning so you have less time to dwell on it.
- The first appointment will simply be a check-up so don't worry that you'll be launched into having a filling, the drill or a needle. See this first visit as your chance to get to know the dentist.
- Take a friend with you to your appointment. The dentist won't mind if they accompany you throughout the check-up or treatment.
- Agree on a sign with the dentist to signal that you need a break and want them to stop. It can be as simple as pointing your finger and will help you feel more in control.
- If you think it will help, start gradually with a clean and polish then work up to more extensive treatment once you've built up trust and rapport with your dentist.
- Take a personal stereo with you to listen to music during your visit. It will help you relax.