3 Ways to Reduce Your Dental Anxiety – Better Yet, Let Us Handle It For You
Do you ever get nervous just thinking about having to visit the dentist? We can assure you that you’re not alone. We know that visits can be intimidating due to fears or concerns that you may have. Maybe you haven’t seen a dentist in some time or perhaps you’ve had an uncomfortable experience in the past. Rest assured that there are many things a patient or office can do to help ease the situation or to help avoid any problems! According to the American Dental Association, the three components to over-come your anxiety are to speak up, distract yourself, and to use mindfulness techniques.
First, speak up about your concerns! If the office and dentist are aware of your concerns they can be addressed up-front so that mishaps are avoided. Your concerns can and should be discussed from the moment that you schedule your appointment. That way, these concerns can be passed on to the whole team. Once the whole team is aware, necessary arrangements can be made. For example, the dentist may add additional time to your appointment so that things are explained to you every step of the way. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!
Next, a great way to calm your nerves is to distract yourself. While waiting to see the dentist, scan the office for any magazines or pamphlets that they may offer. Try to read anything that is not related to dentistry. Some offices also provide televisions in the lobby and a limited few also provide televisions in treatment rooms. Take advantage and ask for them to be turned on. If it’s the sound that you fear, try bringing some headphones to listen to your favorite music while you’re getting work done. It’ll also help the time go by faster.
Lastly, it’s important to relax your mind and body. There are many exercises to assure calmness. Try breathing exercises or focusing on an object that reminds you of peace. Especially while being in the chair, try to relax by doing a body scan. Body scans are when you focus on one area of your body at a time to release any tension. These techniques are sure to help ease your mind.
At Northern Edge Dentistry, we’re dedicated to providing our patients with a stress and anxiety-free patient experience. We do this by making all three of these anxiety-reducing components our responsibility. First, our schedulers work to get as many details as possible about any and all worries and concerns that you may have. These details are then passed on to our team and dentist, who make necessary arrangements to ensure a stress-free patient experience.
Once you arrive to your appointment, we make it our responsibility to calm your nerves by providing amenities designed to distract you from thinking about dentistry. For example, our lobby has a TV equipped with Netflix, a beverage bar, and a kids’ entertainment room. We know that many patients become most anxious once they are seated in the treatment room. That’s why we’ve installed 3 Netflix equipped TVs in each treatment room, including ceiling TVs, to ensure a stress and anxiety free experience. We know that our patients have enough to worry about. A dental visit should not be one of those worries.
All in all, we know that it only takes one bad dental experience to make a patient hesitate making their next appointment. That’s why at Northern Edge Dentistry we’re committed to providing our patients with the most comfortable and stress-free dental experience that most have ever had. If it only takes one bad dental experience to make a patient hesitate about going to the dentist, we believe that it only takes one great dental experience to ease stress and anxiety about the dentist for good.
Give us a call today and let us handle the rest!