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Does the idea of going to the dentist strike fear in your heart? Most American’s don’t exactly look forward to the dentist, but for some patients, that dislike turns into an absolute phobia or severe anxiety. Sadly, patients who experience dental anxiety may avoid the dentist altogether until they’re so unwell they need major procedures to fix the problem.
If you struggle with dental anxiety, we want you to know that it is possible to get through it and take care of your oral health needs with the right support. Methods for dealing with dental anxiety vary depending on the person, but may include traditional relaxation techniques, medication, sedation dentistry, and compounded medications to reduce pain and/or anxiety. We’ll help you build confidence and make healthy decisions by reviewing these options here.
Tell Your Dentist About Your Dental Anxiety
For some patients, knowing their dentist is aware of their oral healthcare issues is helpful. Tell your dentist about your anxieties, or find a dentist who is especially good at dealing with high-anxiety patients. When your dentist understands your situation, he or she can attempt to work with you to reduce anxiety-producing situations, whether that’s working more quickly, slowing down and explaining the procedure first, or knowing when to offer sedation if the procedure becomes too much.
Use Relaxation Techniques
Dental anxiety really isn’t any different than any other form of anxiety — it has a trigger and can cause intense feelings of fear and anxiety. Thus, many of the strategies therapists recommend for patients with anxiety disorders also work for patients undergoing dental treatments. These strategies include the following.
1. Meditation and Guided Imagery
Meditation and guided imagery are best used for a period of time before the procedure first. Simply sit somewhere quiet and breathe calmly, focusing on your in or out-breath. If your mind wanders, gently pull it back to your breath without fighting the tendency to think.
If you prefer to use guided imagery, listen to your favorite guided imagery session while you meditate and focus on that instead. Some patients prefer to use music instead of imagery — whichever works for you is fine. Most dentists will allow you to bring in a small MP3 player so you can use your session in the office.
2. Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises may help some patients, too. Try breathing in slowly to the count of four, holding for four, then releasing your breath to the count of four. This naturally reduces adrenaline in the body and lowers blood pressure.
3. Exposure Therapy
Exposure therapy (visiting the dentist multiple times) may reduce phobias over time. This is especially useful under the guidance of a licensed therapist who can work with the patient in the dentist’s office.
4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
In progressive muscle relaxation, you begin by tensing the muscles in the toes and releasing them. Then, slowly move up the body, tensing and releasing muscle groups until you reach the head. This, too, reduces adrenaline and blood pressure.
Use Medications
For patients with extremely severe phobias, prescription sedatives may reduce anxieties just enough to get the procedure over with. The most common prescription medications are Ativan or Valium, as both of these medications are anti-anxiolytic (meaning they reduce anxiety).
Pharmacists can also compound traditional sedative medications like these into sublingual numbing gels if numbing is desired. This reduces the amount of time a patient spends in the dentist’s chair by ensuring that your mouth is numb and you are relaxed as soon as you show up. This strategy is also ideal if you can’t swallow pills, as the medication is absorbed through the gum line or cheek tissue instead.
If the patient is a child or elderly adult, prescription pill doses may need to be modified to accommodate for a more sensitive system. Compounding these medications into a smaller, easier-to-take dose (e.g., liquid or a patch) achieves the same goal while preserving patient safety. It also prevents excessive sedation or euphoria.
Try Sedation Dentistry
If all else fails, and you simply cannot tolerate the dentist, sedation dentistry may be right for you. This procedure induces deep sedation via an intravenous (IV) line that greatly reduces fear and also induces amnesia. These stronger medications don’t induce full general anesthesia (which carries a higher degree of risk), but they will limit your awareness of the procedure.
Many patients report not even remembering the procedure afterward — meaning procedures are far less traumatic. Even just a single sedation dentistry visit can “break the cycle” for some patients, letting them overcome their fears.
It is important to note that sedation dentistry does take some time to wear off. You won’t be able to drive yourself home afterward, and you may be confused, emotional, or laughing spontaneously. This is a natural side-effect of the medication and usually wears off within a couple of hours.
Start Overcoming Your Dental Anxiety Today
Have questions about how to handle your dental anxiety? The most important step you can take is to talk with a medical professional about how you feel. If you’re not ready to visit the dentist just yet, speak with your pharmacist instead. He or she can help you take the first few baby steps to overcoming your fear.
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