7 Tips for fear of the dentist

Dental technology has developed a great deal in recent years. The ghost stories of the past are long gone. Nowadays, in principle, everything can be done virtually painlessly. If you are still afraid of the dentist, we would like to help you get rid of this fear with 7 tips.

1. Know what to expect from a dentist

If your dentist in La Marque has not yet prepared you with information for your treatment, ask him yourself how long the treatment will take and what he will do exactly. Clear information in advance generally has a calming effect. A dentist can help you by showing you where the inflammation is in the root canal, for example, using the X-ray images, and giving you further explanations. They can also get you more involved in the treatment by having you hold the saliva plunger or look at the problem or the result in a mirror.

2. Monitor the situation

It is good to make an appointment with the dentist beforehand to stop treatment when you signal him. For example, that you raise your hand as soon as you feel restless, uncomfortable or in pain. Such an agreement gives you more control over the situation.

3. Breathe consciously and calmly

Breathing calmly helps in every situation where you experience some stress. You can practice this at home. Put on something comfortable and lie down comfortably. Put your hands on your abdomen and breathe in and out slowly and consciously. Feel your abdominal wall moving up and down regularly. Breathe in and out through your nose as much as possible. Use three seconds to breathe in and six seconds to breathe out. This takes some practice, but it helps when you are in the dentist's chair to breathe calmly and against the fear of the dentist.

4. Relax as much as possible

Try whether you can benefit from relaxation or breathing exercises. Distraction often helps even more. If necessary, ask for music and make an effort to listen to it carefully. If you pay less attention to the treatment, any unpleasant feelings will be less.

5. Change your thinking about the dental treatment

When you are afraid, you think differently than normal. At such moments you often fall back into thoughts such as: I am just a scaredy-cat! Such a thought throws you off balance emotionally and that doesn't help. The idea is to transform an unreasonable thought that upsets you into a reasonable alternative, such as: "I'm sitting here in the dentist's chair because I want to keep my teeth healthy and avoid complaints." Thoughts or statements that positively affirm yourself also help. Say to yourself regularly, "I can handle this situation." Realise that it is not the situation that makes it difficult for you, but the way you think about that situation or circumstances. Want to know more about this? Read chapter 4 of "Never fear the dentist again", about self-therapy.

6. Provide distraction

Take along music you can dream away with or a puzzle to distract you. Listen to your favourite music and try to enjoy it. This distraction technique will even help you during a lengthy root canal treatment at the dentist. Of course, you can do this better if you practise it a few times beforehand.

7. Communicate with the dentist

If you indicate that you are nervous or anxious about a treatment at the dentist, mention it to the dentist in advance. He or she will be able to understand and reassure you better. At our La Marque dental office, as a family dentist, we see that this is experienced as pleasant for both you and the dentist. After all, anything is possible with good communication.