2 Ways To Deal With A Fear Of The Dentist

Going to the dentist may be one of those things that you know that you have to do, but it really worries you. You may have panic attacks or other issues when you try to go to your appointment. That can make it hard for you to force yourself to go, even though you know that you should. There are things that you can do that will help you. 

Sedation Dentistry

One thing you can do is to work with a dentist who practices sedation dentistry. They will have a variety of medications available to use so that they can help you get through your appointment. For example, one option they will have is to give you an anti-anxiety medication. That will help you with any anxiety attacks you may have. The medication is generally pretty quick acting, so you can take it a few minutes before you have to leave for your appointment or when you get to the office. These medications don't generally knock you out, what they do is to take the edge off, and let you get to a point where you can handle what is going on easier. If that doesn't work or you are going to have a long procedure, you can talk to the dentist about giving you medication that will completely sedate you so that you aren't aware of what is going on at all. 

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy means that you expose yourself a little bit at a time to whatever it is that scares you. What that means when it comes to seeing your dentist and handling your anxiety, is that you would go see your dentist without having any treatment done. For example, one day you may just go to their office and sit in the waiting room for a few minutes. The next time you go, you can see your dentist in a room that isn't an exam room and talk to them for a few minutes, and so on and so forth. You would eventually be able to build yourself up to a point where you can make it into an exam room and get the treatment that you need without undue anxiety. 

If you are worried about going to see your dentist, there are things that you can do to help with that. It's important that you go see a dentist on a regular basis, such as at Dental Implant & Cosmetic, PC, so dealing with any phobia is important. 


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