What Is Your Dentist Doing To Help Your Anxiety?
Fear of the dentist is not uncommon. Most people have some level of anxiety about sitting in the dental chair. What you might not realize is that from the moment you walk in the door at your dentist's office, he or she is working to calm your nervousness. Here are a few ways your dentist does that:
Televisions Throughout the Office
The televisions in the lobby and exam area are just one way your dentist is helping you to prepare for your dental exam. The programming is a distraction that can help keep your mind off what is going on in the office.
The televisions also help to make the wait to see the dentist seem shorter. If the wait time seems to drag on, your mind will play up the fears you have. With your mind distracted by the television, your fears should stay in check.
Music and Water Features
As you wait in the dental chair for the exam to start, anxiety can kick in. Your breathing might become shallow and your heart rate and blood pressure could even increase. As your body goes through these changes, your anxiety will increase.
A subtle way your dentist is working to avoid this is by using music and water features. The sound of both can help to reduce your heart rate and lower the blood pressure. As these decrease, so will your anxiety.
Communication
One of the best tools your dentist has at his or her disposal to help you calm down is communication. From the moment the dentist walks into the exam room until it is over, he or she will continue to talk to help you relax.
Your dentist will likely explain everything that he or she is doing as the examination takes place. The dentist might even ask questions along the way about subjects unrelated to the exam. For instance, he or she might ask about your family.
At the end of the exam, the dentist might ask about how you felt about the experience. He or she will want to know if there was anything that could be done to make the experience less stressful for you.
Do not be ashamed if you are nervous about seeing the dentist. Be upfront with the dentist and let him know about your fears. There are other methods that he or she can use to help you get through your exam.