When you have dental anxiety, you may find yourself avoiding going to the dentist even when you know you need to do so. This can, of course, be a serious problem for you and your oral health. If you are struggling to even schedule yourself a dental appointment or are a chronic canceler, then you may be wondering what you can or should do to deal with your dental anxiety. Get to know some of the things you can do about your dental anxiety so you can get to the dentist as soon as possible.
Talk to Your Dentist or Doctor About Medications
Sometimes, the key to controlling your anxiety, at least in the short-term, is to take anti-anxiety medications. These medications are highly effective if you take them about an hour before your dentist appointment. This gives them time to get into your system and take effect.
You can either talk to your dentist or your primary care doctor about getting these anti-anxiety medications. Explain your dental fears to them, including your mental and physical symptoms. This will help them determine which medication option is best to help get you into the dentist chair.
Consider Counseling
In the long-term, you will want to learn how to manage your anxiety even if you do not take medications. One of the ways that you can do this is to go to counseling.
Seeing a counselor will help you to learn the root cause of your anxiety, find coping strategies to deal with it, and put them into practice in your regular daily life. This can be an effective tool that can lead you to have little to no anxiety over time.
Bring Soothing Music with You
On the day of the appointment, you will want to do everything you can to help you get the dental services that you need. One of these strategies is to bring soothing music with you to listen to while your dentist works.
This will help drown out any sounds, but more importantly, will give you something to focus on rather than your own anxious thoughts. Just be sure you carefully select all of the music so that you do not get anything in there that would worsen or increase anxiety and tension.
Avoid Caffeine
Many people start their day with a cup of coffee or tea. However, on the day of your dentist appointment, you should try to avoid caffeinated beverages and foods. Caffeine can increase anxiety because it is a stimulant. It can also serve to counteract the effects of anti-anxiety medications.
Now that you know some of the ways to manage your dental anxiety, you can schedule your next appointment and make sure that you get there to get the dental care that you need. For more information, contact a dental service near you.
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