If you go to bed with a knot in your gut, thinking about tomorrow’s dental appointment, you are not alone. Here are 3 easy choices that will help you learn to help you overcome this potentially paralyzing problem:
1) One of the issues for patients who have high anxiety in the dental chair is the fear of losing control. You, the patient need to establish your power to choose. Always communicate your fear to your care provider—the more specific(i.e. the injection, the drill, fear of choking), the better. Only a dental team with the capacity for empathy is a good fit for your dental needs. Dentists are not mind readers, so the more information you share, the better your dental team can help you. It has been said that “we are only as sick as our secrets”; so letting the cat out of the bag allows the possibility for real change.
2) Practice the best level of self-care possible. Proper sleep, excercize and nutrition are essential to helping reduce the harmful effects that acute stress creates in the body. Avoid alcohol consumption, especially if a prescription has been provided by your dentist prior to your appointment.
3) Ask your dentist to establish a contract of trust for your experience as a patient. Breaking the code of fear involves having experiences with different outcomes. Knowing that you are directly involved in what happens will help you remain calm. One aspect of your contract might be how the dentist responds to your experience of unpleasantness. Will the dentist stop the procedure to address your concern? Ask for all the options in managing the anxiety, and then agree to them. Trust is earned!
Always remember that you, the patient, has choices and by having the courage to express your feeling of vulnerability, you offer your dentist the best chance of helping you get to the other side of dental fear.