Do you remember going to the dentist’s office as a child and have this unexplainable fear of seeing your dentist? Even the mere sight of the receptionist trembles you and makes your skin crawl. However, this fear might cause serious problems such as in case of dental emergencies or immediate treatment needed for a dental hygiene issue. This article will be able to explain why this phenomenon happens and what to do in case this situation happens to you. You can check information about anxiety sweating online and visit Good Choice Dental’s clinic in Burwood page for more details about professional dentists that can help you overcome this feeling.
Causes of Dental Checkup Anxiety
There are certainly a lot of different stimuli that have caused the anxiety sweating that has led people to avoid their dental cleaning checkup and routine. Most adults have mentioned that traumatic experiences from childhood dental checkups have made mild to severe anxiety issues. This anxiety can be rooted from various causes such as the dental equipment sounds, fear of injection, trust issues, previous traumatic pain and being uncomfortable in intruding a private space (such as the mouth). There might be other factors that children may have seen such as hearing the previous kid being treated in the clinic screaming, unfamiliar environment, and even media can affect a child’s perception of the dentist. It is important for parents to guide a kid’s view of the dentist and allow them to be afraid for some time. Negative reinforcement of this feeling may even worsen the situation and may lead to other undesired effects.
However, adults that still undergo serious cases of dental checkup anxiety might need other medications or treatments to overcome the fear. There are a lot of safe practices to use when anxiety happens during a dental visit. Techniques such as mild sedation, anxiety-relieving medicine, happy gas (relative analgesia) or general anesthesia are commonly used by dentists with the consent of the patient. It is important to ask your dentist about the treatment that you will be undergoing to be clarified of any steps to take or what the procedure will involve.
How to Stop Your Dental Anxiety
The most honest to recommend in stopping your dental anxiety sweating is for you to trust your dentist. If you haven’t established a trust relationship in knowing that your dentist is a professional and will take care of your teeth, then your oral hygiene might be in danger. It will be also a good method to discuss more about this fear and how to deal with it. Coping methods are also used by dental practitioners as this can highly help in making the patient relaxed and prepared for the procedures. Psychologists can be referred by the dentist before going to the scheduled dental appointment. Some cases also allow the dentists to use aromatherapy or relaxation music to make the patient feel at home and even give a stress ball during the process.
There are various ways to stop dental anxiety but it is important to take care of your oral hygiene at home continuously so you’ll be familiar with the steps in doing the dental health procedures.
