Giving advice to an anxious
patient to simply "relax" is almost equivalent to suggesting to
someone with insomnia to just "sleep". The advice itself is not
incorrect, but the action is not as simple as the words. Dental anxiety is common
among about 36% of the population and it all derived from one particular
sensation: losing control. Re-establish control, and most of the anxiety will
disappear.
Establish control before the appointment starts
The most important thing you can
do before any treatment is to establish a stop-work signal with your provider.
A predetermined hand gesture, like raising your left hand, that automatically
calls treatment off. The dentist stops.
The magic isn't in the signal.
It's in knowing that there is one. The bulk of the stress you carry into that
chair is because you feel trapped, because you believe there's no escape. A
stop-work signal rewrites the emotional contract. You're not a patient. You're
a client. And you can call time any time you want.
Demand it on your intake call or
at the outset of your appointment. And don't accept any dentist who won't offer
it.
Tell your provider exactly what bothers you
It's hard to work around vague
anxiety. Specific triggers, though, are quite manageable. Saying "I'm
nervous about this" to a provider is not the same as saying "the
smell of the office makes me tense, and I feel calmer when I know what you're
about to do."
People can't adjust to what they
don't know. But if you highlight your specific triggers - scent, sound, the
sight of a needle, the taste of latex gloves - a good team will adjust. Maybe
they'll burn a calming oil before your visit. Maybe they'll give you a few
moments with a flavored rinse to distract your taste buds from the gloves.
Finding a provider who makes
this kind of adaptation routine isn't easy, but it's worth it. A Dentist Wasilla residents trust
and recommend to each other is going to be a provider who respects and listens
to their triggers and strives to minimize their impact.
Time your appointment to manage anticipatory anxiety
Worrying about an appointment is
quite common. Sometimes, that worry can build up so much it turns into dread.
The closer you get to the time you have to leave, the worse it becomes. That's
anticipatory anxiety and it can be worse than the appointment itself.
Booking an early morning
appointment starts that clock later. You only have to deal with a few minutes
or maybe an hour or so of that dread before you pack up and get moving. That's
a lot easier to tackle than three, four, five, or more hours of it. You won't
eliminate the issue entirely, but early in the morning is easier to handle than
with a long evening lead-in.
Use your body to override the stress response
The 4-7-8 breath, which involves
breathing in for four counts, holding that breath for seven counts, and
exhaling for eight counts, also activates the parasympathetic nervous system.
It's a specific form of diaphragmatic
breathing, and it directly lowers your heart rate. But here's the catch.
It's most effective if you begin in the waiting room, before you're even called
to the dentist's chair.
The reason this breath is so
magical is that your nervous system can't be in fight-or-flight mode while
you're exhaling. A longer exhalation relieves anxiety by shifting your nervous
system from a sympathetic fight-or-flight response to a parasympathetic calming
response. It's hard-wired in your body; the stress falls away as soon as you
start to exhale slowly and calmly. Four. Seven. Eight.
Whether giving yourself a mental
image, like holding a photograph of a loved one while savoring the in-breath,
works for you, go for it. Some patients skip the mental image and listen to
calming music; the noise of a dentist's office has been shown to increase
anxiety (the high pitch and unpredictability are triggers for the brain to feel
uneasy). Music you like on your headphones will override this anxiety-producing
loop beautifully.
Understand your sedation options
For patients who cannot manage
their anxiety, such as those suffering from dentophobia or general medical
anxiety, several clinical alternatives do not necessitate confronting your
fears throughout treatment.
Nitrous oxide is the most
common. It will make you feel relaxed in minutes, wear off minutes after they
turn off the tap, and leaves no trace in your body by the time you walk out the
door. Oral sedation involves taking a pill when you arrive, producing a more
profound calming effect that may be necessary for longer treatments or more
significant anxiety. Anesthetic shots block all pain signals from the affected
area several hours if needed.
And none of those options mean
you can't use the others if you want to. It's not sedation or nothing: you can
opt in or out of greater anxiety control based on the treatment, using more or
less for anything from bi-annual cleanings to full extractions.
The practical part
You don't need a diagnosis for
any of this, or a therapist. You need one five-second honest conversation with
your doctor before you start your appointment. It goes like this: "I am
scared truthfully." Then you ask the question, "What's the signal to
shut it down?" And then you bring out your new headphones. Finally, you
book early.
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