How To Cope With A Fear Of The Dentist
The following article was written and contributed by a partner.
One in six Australian adults is afraid to visit the dentist. This shows that you are not alone! However, this fear can stop you seeking out proper medical care when needed and to help prevent issues developing.
While it’s great to know you’re not alone in your fears, it is important to learn how to overcome your fear and get the dental help you need.
Understanding the Processes
Often fear of a dentist is because a procedure needs to be completed and you’re not confident about the procedure, or you think it will be very painful.
This is particularly true for root canal; it is not as painful as you think it will be.
The better you understand what is going to happen the easier it will be to deal with.
Finding the Right Dentist
It is also important to find the right dentist, this is one that will be sympathetic to your fears and will work through each step of the process with you. This can remove your phobia for life.
The easiest way to find the right dentist is to ask your friends and to look on social media forums. You will find there are plenty which give honest opinions.
Accept Your fears
It is important to accept the fact that you have a fear of the dentist. This will help you to face the fear of going. Once you admit something it can often seem much easier to do it the next time.
Meditation
Learning to meditate will help you to be able to focus on a given moment or point in time and allow you to de-stress about the situation happening round you. This can help you to make the appointment and even get ready to go to the dentist.
When you are in the waiting room you should complete some breathing exercises. This will keep you calm when walking into his chair.
Take A Friend
If your phobia of the dentist is this strong then you should consider taking a friend. In return they will force you to actually visit the dentist.
The friend can be all the reassurance you need to complete the check-up and start getting over your phobia.
Distract Yourself
Another good way of dealing with a fear of the dentist is to make an appointment and then distract yourself. This can be as simple as reading a good book the night before. If you find one that is a real page turner then you can start reading it in the waiting room; it will help you to forget about why your there and allow the dentist to get his work done.
Professional Help
It is possible that your fear of the dentist is much more deep rooted. In these instances you will probably need to speak to a counselor. They will be able to assist you in finding out the root cause of your phobia and then dealing with it.
This approach can take time but the results are well worth it!
At the end of the day you must be able to go to the dentist regularly; this will help to keep your teeth healthy for a lifetime.
