Blog Post

Tips For Overcoming Dental Anxiety

  • By Ben Huang
  • •
  • 09 Nov, 2018
  • •

Dental anxiety, dental fear and dental phobia all describe similar feelings of being too afraid to go to the dentist. This is usually because of a mix of factors, but primarily involves a fear of having someone operating in such a personal comfort zone with scary looking pieces of equipment.

Even when they know they are being treated by a professional in a safe environment - people with dental anxiety can struggle to relax and may even panic while in the operating chair.  Because of this, many dentists try hard to build a good rapport with their patients so that they feel as comfortable as possible while being operated on.

However, the dentist can only do so much to accommodate someone with dental fear and eventually those with it will need to overcome their phobia. Obviously, failing to see the dentist because of a phobia means you run a greater risk of developing serious oral health issues that can cause irreparable damage to your teeth and gums.

Let’s take a look at some tips for overcoming dental anxiety.

1. Remember that you’re not alone!

Dental phobias are some of the most common across the developed world and there’s no shame in admitting that you are someone who’s anxious about visiting the dentist. Most people understand why seeing a dentist can cause anxiety and acknowledge that it’s normal to feel uncomfortable by such an intrusive practise.

Having a bunch of pointy objects in and around your mouth is always going to feel intrusive no matter what. The goal isn’t to enjoy dental work; it is simply to accept that it’s necessary and that you can trust the dentist to be careful.

2. Figure out what you’re actually afraid of

Rather than simply being afraid of the dentist in general, it’s more likely that you are afraid of a specific experience that you had while you were younger. If you had a particularly painful operation while you were younger, then it may explain why you fear the dentist now.

Talk to your dentist about what parts of their job actually frighten or concern you and allow them to explain. After that, you can look at alternatives or ways to lessen the fear induced by those procedures.

3. Communicate with the dentist

The absolute best thing you can do to help overcome your dental fear is to have an open and honest dialogue with your dentist. The more you get to know your dentist and how they work, the less afraid you’ll be once they actually operate on you.

The more friendly you are with your dentist, the more you will trust them. This means they’ll easily be able to tell when you’re uncomfortable and stop what they’re doing if it causes pain.

4. Don’t go it alone

Another great way to help get over your fear of the dentist is to bring someone you trust along with you. This could be a close friend or a family member; basically anyone who you would trust to look after your best interests.

Knowing that there’s someone you love and trust in the room with you is a big stress reliever.

Ultimately, getting over dental phobia comes down to acknowledging that the irrationality of the fear and working to reduce its power over you. After a few successful visits, you will likely have completely overcome any fear of the dentist.

Why Should You Visit Hawkesbury Family Dental?

By Ben Huang • 12 May, 2022

Hawkesbury Family Dental is a family owned and run dental clinic based in the heart of Windsor NSW, north west of Sydney. We service residents from all across the Hawkesbury, including:

  • Windsor
  • South Windsor
  • Windsor Downs
  • Pitt Town
  • Mulgrave
  • McGraths Hill
  • Bligh Park
  • Glossodia
  • Wilberforce
  • Cattai
  • Ebenezer
  • Colo Heights
  • Oakville
  • and Freemans Reach

Our dental team has dedicated themselves to their work and as a result, have built quite a reputation within the community. All of our dentists have a passion for teeth and work to ensure that you leave feeling satisfied and confident in showing the world your beautiful smile. Here at Hawkesbury Family Dental, we cater for all age groups, including young children who enjoy their regular visits with our friendly staff. We recommend bringing children in at a young age to get them into a routine and to show them that a trip to the dentist is not such a scary thing. Bringing them in when they are young also helps to catch any potential problems early before they get worse in the future.

What does Hawkesbury Family Dental offer? With dentists who are passionate about smiles, there is no shortage of them at our clinic. Our dentists are always willing to help you achieve your goals of that perfect smile. There are various different ways we are able to help you with your journey, with orthodontic work such as braces and invisalign. Something we hear quite often is people expressing regret that they never had braces or invisalign when they were younger and are now self conscious about their smile. Did you know that it is never too late to start your journey towards achieving that smile you have always wanted? So during your next appointment, let your dentist know you would like to discuss the option of Invisalign or braces.

Sometimes patients may need to have a tooth extracted before they get their braces.

This is sometimes recommended prior to braces for the following reason:

- Having a tooth extracted before getting braces can help create space in the mouth for the teeth that are now going to be aligned and will require that little bit of extra room.

It is recommended to get an extraction if there is crowding in the mouth, meaning that your teeth are very close together and overlapping. Your teeth cannot be aligned properly if there is no room for them to do so, so removing the tooth will help.

If you have decided to get braces and need to have a tooth extracted, there are some things that you can do to prepare for the procedure:

- Let your dentist know of any allergies you have or medications that you take on a regular basis. This is important as it may impact any anesthetic or antibiotics prescribed after your extraction

- Make sure you have something to eat beforehand. You may not be able to eat for a few hours while still numb from the anesthetic

- Come prepared to your appointment. Bring any referrals or x-rays with you- Know what to expect during your appointment. 

Knowing what is involved during the extraction may take away the fear of the unknownAfter your extraction, following these after care tips will increase your chances of a smooth recovery:

- Don't eat or drink anything that is too hot or too cold as it can irritate the extraction site. 

Also avoid foods such as rice that may get lodged in the gum and cause irritation- Avoid smoking or drinking alcohol for a few days as it can cause irritation and slow down your recovery

- 24 hours after your extraction, you can rinse your mouth with salt water. It is important not to do this during the first 24 hours as it may dislodge any blood clots which will aid in your recoveryIf you are looking for a good dentist in the Mulgrave area and are thinking about taking that first step towards braces or invisalign, make an appointment with Hawkesbury Family Dental today by calling us on 4577 7311

The Benefit Of Invisalign Dental Intervention

By Ben Huang • 30 Aug, 2019
The advantages of using Invisalign to straighten teeth, apart from the visually, include health, self-esteem, minimising tooth decay & the chances of gum disease.

6 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Your Teeth

By Ben Huang • 13 Nov, 2018

We don’t often pay too much thought to our teeth, despite the fact that they do so much for us! They help us eat, speak and sing – and our smiles wouldn’t quite be the same without them. Here are 6 interesting facts about teeth that you can use in your next game of trivia.

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