Suffer From Dentist Appointment Nerves? Here's How To Feel Calmer

It is common for both children and adults to feel nervous when attending the dentist. Whether it is for a checkup or treatment, the nerves might take over and might cause you to cancel your appointments. 
It is essential to attend your dental appointments to maximise and never give up on your oral health. If you suffer from dental appointment nerves, here is how to reduce or eliminate them. 

Find a friendly practice

My number one tip will always be to find a practice that makes you feel calm and relaxed. There’s nothing like being greeted by a friendly face no matter how daunting the experience might be.

The team at Wahroonga Dental delivers comprehensive and calm care to ensure you feel relaxed at your appointments. Whether you are getting treatment or visiting for a checkup, having a calm environment can really help towards overcoming your fear of the dentist. 

Finding a friendly dental practice will guarantee to do wonders for your nerves and in time, may even eliminate them altogether. 

Try meditating

Although you might not use meditation in your daily practice, this may be a good time to start. Simply meditating and remaining still and focused for a few minutes each morning can calm your nervous system and help in times of stress and worry. Not only is it a daily routine that will empower your life, but it will also encourage you to remain calmer in situations that you find stressful, like the dentist.

Communicate with your dentist

If you suffer from anxiety or stress due to appointments, I always recommend communicating this to your dentist. The sooner they know, the sooner they can do something to make you feel as comfortable as possible. They will want you to attend your appointments for the sake of your health. Hence, they will do everything they can to make you feel relaxed. 
Instead of feeling anxious about your dentist appointment, share your thoughts with the team and they will do anything possible to fulfill your needs and make your appointment relaxing. 
For example, you might prefer to go first thing in the morning. Hence, they might always be able to offer you the first appointment or open earlier to see you. Do not feel shy to share your worries as they will understand.

Take a distraction

If the dentist's waiting room is the issue, you might want to consider taking something along that can distract you. For example, listening to music or reading a book might help to take your mind off of things.
The practice will not mind if you have headphones in or take an object to sit with you, they’re usually quite accommodating.
If an object or headphones do not help, try taking someone along with you. This can be difficult and you might not want to rely on people. But your friends and family will want to support you so ask someone that might be free and see if they can join you to comfort you.

Share your tips for overcoming fear of the dentist below!