Dental anxiety affects about 36% of the population. If you share in this anxiety, you may avoid going to the dentist for regular check-ups, only coming in when it’s a dire emergency. This is a shame, because many of these emergencies and their complications could be prevented with routine care.
Your dental anxiety may be due to a past negative experience or because you just worry about possible pain and discomfort with your appointment. If you haven’t been in a while, it’s possible to develop anxiety about what we might find and it just becomes easier to put off your appointment.
At Advanced Care Dentistry, Thomas O. Marxen, DDS, MSD and the entire team get that coming to our office can sometimes feel intimidating. This is why we offer ways to ease your anxiety so you get the preventive care and treatments necessary to promote your best possible oral health.
Regular check-ups and professional cleanings are essential to your oral and overall health. At these check-ups, Dr. Marxon checks for and can help treat gingivitis and cavities before they develop into full-blown gum disease and tooth decay. He also screens you for mouth cancer and structural issues, like impacted wisdom teeth or crowding.
Professional cleanings are critical, too, even if you’re really good with at-home care. There are areas in your mouth that you just can’t reach with a typical brush and if plaque collects, it can lead to long-term problems like gum disease or decay.
Taking care of your oral health is important to your body’s entire well-being. Poor oral health is associated with heart infections, cardiovascular disease, pregnancy or birth complications, and even pneumonia.
Don’t just not return our calls. It’s okay to make your anxiety known when making your appointment. Do your best to articulate what about being in the dental chair causes you angst. Share bad experiences you’ve had in the past so we can be sure not to repeat them.
We can help you know exactly what to expect during your visit and fill you in each step of the way so you feel completely in control the entire time. And, always feel empowered to ask questions and speak up. If a procedure is making you uncomfortable, let us know. We can give you a break, extra anesthetic, or break your procedure up into more than one visit to make it as tolerable as possible for you.
If you have mild anxiety, simple distraction techniques can help you get through your visit. Wear headphones and connect to a device, watch a video we provide, or squeeze a stress ball. While these strategies won’t eliminate your anxiety, they can help you cope and get the important dental care you need.
If talking out your fears or distraction doesn’t make your dental visits more tolerable, we can offer you sedation dentistry. During this procedure, we administer laughing gas, an oral sedative, or IV sedation so you’re responsive, but blissfully unaware during your procedure.
Many people find sedation dentistry takes much of the anxiety out of the visit so they can get the preventive care and treatments they need.
Dental anxiety is real and valid. But, don’t let it stop you from getting the care you need. At Advanced Care Dentistry, our caring team can help you understand your options that can make your visit as pleasant and stress-free as possible. Call today to talk to our friendly staff.
