Overcoming Your Dental Anxiety: 4 Tips To Make Trips To The Dentist Less Stressful

Written By Anita Ginsburg / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Dental anxiety is distressingly common in both children and adults. After all, going to a dentist isn’t particularly fun, and it can be hard to understand exactly what needs to be done when you go in.

However, your oral and dental health plays a big role in your overall well being, so visiting the dentist regularly is important. Fortunately, there are ways to overcome that anxiety without having to invest in expensive therapy.

Here are four tips that can make your next dental visit less stressful.

Pinpoint Your Fear to overcome dental anxiety

Why exactly are you afraid of the dentist's office? While you might have a nebulous fear of going in, try to do some digging to figure out what you don't like about your dental visits.

Is it the unfamiliar tools that make you nervous? Does the idea of pain from dental procedures bother you?  If you can hone in on exactly what makes you afraid, you stand a much better chance of learning how to defeat those fears.

Watch Videos to overcome dental anxiety

For many, a fear of the dentist's office comes down to a fear of the unknown. You can leverage the power of the internet to see what an average dental visit looks like today and learn that there's really nothing you should be afraid of.

Videos and blogs will discuss various procedures, both routine and not, to help you understand what to expect. If you do notice something that looks uncomfortable or frightening, you will know exactly what to discuss with your dentist.

Visit the Dental Office to overcome dental anxiety

The next step is to physically visit your dentist's office. If you are afraid of sharing your fears with the dentist up front, simply drive up and ask if there is any paperwork that you can fill out ahead of your visit.

This will give you a chance to get the lay of the land and understand that you're not going into enemy territory. Sometimes a quick visit can dispel the fear that you've built up over the years.

Talk to Your Dentist to overcome dental anxiety

Finally, take some time to call a dentist, like those at Same Day Dental. Dental anxiety is honestly quite common, and most dentists are happy to talk to you about your concerns.

If you have a specific fear, you can talk to your dentist and figure out what might be done to help you avoid such issues. For example, if your dentist is aware of your fear of needles, they will likely do their best to make sure you never see the syringes for anesthetics.

Remember, a dentist isn't there to judge you - they simply want to make sure that your teeth are properly cared for.

Your dental fears don't have to get in the way of your oral health. Whether you need to watch a video or actually visit your dentist before you go in, there are steps you can take to ensure that you have a more rational reaction to the office.

With a little luck, you can face your fears and get back to getting the dental care that you need.

Looking for a 100% all-natural liquid tooth oil and mouth rinse? Check out OraMD Original Strength and OraMD Extra Strength. Subscribe to our Trusted Health Club newsletter for more information about natural living tips, natural health, oral care, skincare, body care and foot care. If you are looking for more health resources check out the Trusted Health Resources list. 

Written By:

Anita Ginsburg is a freelance writer from Denver, Colo. She studied at Colorado State University, and now writes articles about health, business, family and finance. A mother of two, she enjoys traveling with her family whenever she isn't writing. You can follow her on Twitter @anitaginsburg.

Reviewed By:    

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.