For yourself and … probably a lot of people … a dentist visit can seem a very daunting experience. Especially if it’s been a while since your last visit and you’ve got out of the routine.
Maybe you’re worried about getting told off, or even what ‘delights’ the dentist may find?
I can assure you, we help people just like you every day… I can guarantee you, there is nothing you can do or say, or anything that I may see that will shock, surprise or even scare me.
Whatever your dental history or lack of, we’re here to help get you to where you want to be. We can offer you solutions and help get you on the right track.
If you’re anxious at all, here are some tips to help prepare you for your next dentist visit:
- Bring moral support – a family member or friend can come with you. Even if it’s just to drive you home afterwards. Just make sure it isn’t someone who has dental anxiety.
- Book your appointment early in the morning. That way, the dentist won’t be running late, so you won’t be sitting in the waiting room stressing for a long time before you go in and you won’t be sitting at home all day worrying about it either. If you get your appointment over and done with first up in the morning, you can enjoy the rest of the day then and not waste it worrying about dentists!
- Bring your headphones and listen to your favourite music on phone or ipod to help distract you.
- Have something to eat the morning of your appointment. We are all emotional and don’t handle things as well when we haven’t eaten.
- Know which dentist you’re going to be seeing, rather than going to a stranger. Choose a dentist that has a reputation for helping anxious patients.
- When booking your appointment, advise them that you’re anxious. That way they are well prepared for you on arrival and can allow extra time for your appointment if necessary.
- Don’t delay appointments, yes you know this! If you delay things, it will be more complex, expensive and uncomfortable (yes!) to fix. Avoidance actually makes your anxiety worse; this is a fact!
- We find happy gas or nitrous oxide is helpful for our anxious patients. Squeezing stress balls are good too (they have been proven to reduce anxiety and pain by 20%!).
If it’s been a long time since your last appointment and you’re worried what we might find….?! Don’t overthink it. You may not need anything more than a clean. Until you’ve been to a dentist, you’ll never know for sure.
If you do need a lot of work, we can work through it with you and take one step at a time. We can create a plan for you and work through it, based on your goals, budget and schedule. You know your teeth and dental health are important. And your teeth aren’t going to get better, by ignoring them…
If you haven’t been to the dentist for a while, we are here to help you.
Book an appointment or contact us for more info.