Dental phobia, tips and tricks from a dentist in Bristol
Dental phobia is a very common condition that effects 1 in 4 people in Bristol. Different fears affect different individuals. Some people are terrified of the pain they may experience at the hands of their dentist, others feel an uncontrollable anxiety as soon as they think of the sounds and smells of a dental clinic. Regardless, dental phobia must be overcome as dental check-ups are a vital part of maintaining good oral health. Fortunately, more and more dentists are becoming more aware of how to ease their patients dental phobia They are now trained in how to give a kind and gentle service that sets their patients at ease and encourages them to return for further treatment. Advances in dental technology have resulted in ‘the dental wand’, a computerised injection system that administers local anaesthetic,without a needle or any sharp pains. If you are still anxious about visiting dentist, simply adopt one or two of the following strategies. Firstly, ask for a morning appointment, this way you will have no time to stress about the check-up and you will be able to get it over and done with. If you have any concerns about surgery you may need in the future, ask to book an appointment with your dentist for just a simple consultation. During this consultation, your dentist can talk you through the steps of treatment and you can even arrange to have a ‘stop signal’ if you wish, this is a sign that you may use to tell your dentist that you need a break for surgery. Finally, if you are still nervous, take a portable music device into the room with you, as listening to music will help you relax during the appointment.Tags: dental phobia