Gentle Dental Services Help You Relax, Even When Visiting the Dentist Stresses You Out
About 36 percent of Americans fear going to the dentist. This dental anxiety can sometimes interfere with good oral health, as people avoid routine check-ups and end up with severe, unchecked dental issues as a result. And this only requires that you spend even more time in the dentist’s chair.
Fortunately, there are ways to feel more comfortable during your visit to the dentist and options that can help you feel less stress during treatments. Dental anxiety is no longer a reason to avoid receiving dental care when you try these six strategies.
One: Schedule Appointments at a Gentle Dental Practice in Kansas City
You can set yourself up for success at your dental care appointment by scheduling your treatments at a gentle dental practice. These dental offices are unique in that they focus on keeping their patients comfortable and relaxed during services, and offer a menu of options to reduce stress.
By choosing gentle dental care in the first place, you can immediately reduce your dental anxiety.
Two: Request IV Sedation Dentistry When Appropriate
If you need a more invasive dental procedure, or if your dental anxiety is severe, ask your dentist about IV sedation dentistry. Although IV sedation isn’t available for everyone and for all dental care, you may be eligible.
IV sedation dentistry requires a highly skilled anesthesiologist to monitor you during your dental procedure while you are sedated. The anesthesiologist ensures you stay “asleep” and are safe throughout the process. Keep in mind that you cannot drive yourself home after your treatment if you receive sedation.
Three: Distract Yourself With Your Favorite TV Show or Music During Dental Care Visits
Dentists who offer gentle dental care tend to provide excellent comfort options to their patients during their appointments. These options can include ceiling-mounted televisions, headphones, or sunglasses to use during your dental cleaning or procedure.
Watching your favorite movie or listening to the latest release from a beloved musical artist can help you relax – and distract yourself from the commotion going on inside your mouth. Even wearing a pair of sunglasses and relieving harsh light in your eyes can help promote relaxation.
Four: Snuggle up in a Warm Blanket
During periods of panic and anxiety, your body does not do a good job of regulating your core body temperature. This is a simple stress response. Some patients may find they feel unusually cold during periods of stress.
An easy way for dental care providers to remedy this is to offer warm blankets to their patients. And sometimes something as comforting as a soft blanket can help soothe anxiety.
Five: Wear an Aromatherapy Eye Mask While Receiving Dental Care
While wearing sunglasses helps block out the glare from the exam room lights, an aromatherapy eye mask pulls double duty.
First, the fabric of the mask puts you in the dark – and the lack of light altogether can help you practice mindfulness or meditation to help you stay calm during your dental appointment.
Second, natural scents can help promote relaxation – a practice called aromatherapy. An ancient idea, aromatherapy uses essential oils or dried fragrant herbs that produce scent molecules. When inhaled, these molecules travel from the olfactory nerves and to your brain, where your amygdala processes them.
It just so happens that the amygdala is the emotional center of your brain – and soothing scents like lavender affect it in a positive way.
Six: Find a Kansas City Dentist Office Where You Can Feel Zen
If you’re prone to anxiety, you must take steps to find an office where you feel as comfortable as possible. It is well within your rights as a patient to ask to visit a dental office to get a sense for what it’s like to be a patient there before you schedule an appointment for dental care.
Serene, spa-like gentle dental practices exist, and finding one doesn’t need to be difficult. Look for dentist offices that promote peace as you sit in the waiting room and that offer additional services designed around your comfort.
Talk to the dentist who will oversee your dental care; do they speak with a soft, soothing voice, or are they loud, boisterous, and full of personality? Choose the one that you like best.
Feel the Comfort at E-Care
Simply liking the ambiance and staff at a dental practice can help ease your anxiety. At E-Care Dentistry in Olathe, Kansas, our clients find relief from their dental anxiety. Our excellence and experience in caring for your teeth and mouth allow us to put you first.
See why E-Care is different – and excellent. Schedule a routine check-up appointment today.