Three Ways to Overcome Your Fear of the Dentist

Suffering with fear and anxiety around going to the dentist is certainly not uncommon. Some people tend to feel nervous and anxious each time they have a dental appointment, whileothers are so crippled by their anxiety that their oral health begins to suffer as they put off visiting the dentist altogether. If your fear of the dentist is beginning to impact your health, then the good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. We’ve put together some top tips to help you get back in control and overcome your fears. 

#1. Find an Understanding Dentist:

First of all, you will need to go with a dentist who is fully understanding of your situation and is able to work with you to help and support you as you overcome your fears. They will be there to show you that going to the dentist doesn’t have to be scary, and sometimes you might even have a nice experience. Dentists today tend to be much more used to having patients who are feeling scared and anxious, and there’s a lot more understanding going around compared to in the past. This holistic dentist Sydney is a great choice – holistic dentists care about your general health as much as your dental health, and will be well equipped to help you overcome your fear. 

#2. Improve Your Dental Hygiene:

One of the main reasons why people tend to develop a fear of visiting the dentist is because of past painful or frightening experiences that they have had there. If you’ve ever had a tooth pulled, a root canal treatment, or even a particularly tricky filling, then the pain afterwards, even if you were under local anaesthetic at the time, could be enough to put you off going back. But sadly, the less often you visit the dentist, the more likely you will be to develop serious dental problems that will require treatment. So, place more emphasis on caring for your dental health and when you do visit the dentist, hopefully you’ll have more good experiences than bad. 

#3. Speak to a Therapist:

If your fear of going to the dentist is so bad that you can’t even step foot inside the dentist’s office without feeling nauseous, sweating or shaking, then you’re not on your own – serious anxiety or phobias of the dentist are more common than you may realise, and they often stop people from getting their dental health checked altogether. If this sounds like you,then you may benefit from getting some professional help to deal with any underlying issues that could be causing this level of anxiety. It may be worth telephoning a holistic dentist’s office and telling them of your situation so that they can recommend people and organisations who may be able to assist. Talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are ideal for overcoming anxiety and can help you in several further areas of your life. 

A fear of the dentist is certainly not uncommon, but it’s definitely possible to overcome.