Combat your fear of the dentist now.
We get it; overcoming dentophobia can be hard.
However, don’t let your dentophobia stop you from receiving your much-needed dental check-ups twice a year.
Work on combating your fear.
Keep in mind that attending the dentist is a vital component of ensuring the teeth are strong and healthy.
Here are some tips to help you combat dentophobia:
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Calm yourself down with herbs or minerals.
A nervous mind, trembling hands and general anxiety can be temporarily reduced thanks to many herbs and minerals. Drinking a relaxing tea with herbs such as lavender, lemon balm, lemongrass, and chamomile can provide a calming effect for the mind.
Taking magnesium (either in pill form or powder form added to water) also has a nice, calming effect for nervousness. Holy basil supplements are also bound to bring a temporary calm mind, an uplift in mood, and a change in negative mindset just after one pill. Speak to your doctor before taking these. While these are natural, some are more sensitive than others. Herbs and minerals can also interfere with certain medications or pre-existing conditions.
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Listen to your favorite songs.
Create a calming playlist of your favorite upbeat songs. Listen to these on the drive there, while waiting for your appointment to begin, and even during the check-up if necessary, especially if your dentophobia is mainly caused by the sound of dental tools.
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Have a friend or loved one in the room with you while you receive your check-up/cleaning.
Sometimes dentophobia can be relieved by having someone you trust in the same room with you while your dental check-up is taking place. It may be possible that having a friend in the room will cause you to feel as if you have to “tough it out” in fear of embarrassment. However, sometimes all you need is to have someone there for you just in case things get you too worked up and need a moment to take to someone you care for.
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Opt for dental sedation.
It may be possible that you can opt for dental sedation to help relax during your dental visit. However, it’s important that you speak to your dentist about this beforehand so that you can find an alternative solution just in case your dentist doesn’t find the idea a good decision.
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Talk to your dentist about your dentophobia to see if anything can be altered about your check-up.
It’s important to tell your dentist about your dentophobia before your appointment. Doing this will prepare your dentist for finding different solutions to getting through your check-up. They may recommend dental sedation for more severe cases of dental fear. Some may also work at a slower pace to ensure your anxiety doesn’t build up too quickly or allow breaks in between the check-up.
Even though dentists do not specialize in mental health, they often deal with anxious patients and nervous children. Know that you are not alone and that there are solutions to your dentophobia. You just have to find the solution(s) that work best for you.