Many people feel anxious or apprehensive when they visit the dentist. The most common reason for this is a bad experience in the past. Often a negative childhood experience that is carried on through to adulthood. Other reasons can be fear of the unknown; not being sure of what is happening in the mouth; fear of needles; feeling claustrophobic.
If you suffer from any of these its important to discuss this with your dentist. Hopefully your gentle dentist will have empathy and understand your concerns. Try these tips the next time you feel anxious about your trip to the dentist.
1. Breathe. I know this sounds simple but the number of people who forget to focus on breathing is huge. This may help: try placing your hands on your tummy. As you SLOWLY breathe in through your nose you should be able to feel your hands rising, as you breathe out SLOWLY you should feel them dropping. This technique makes you breathe with your diaphragm and aids in relaxation.
2. Let your body release tension. When you are stressed your shoulders can hunch up and your muscles in your body become tense. When lying in the dental chair starting form your toes scrunch them up and then relax them, then tense your calf muscles and relax them; work your way slowly up the body tensing and relaxing. This help you to focus on letting your body muscles relax and also distracts your mind from what is happening at the mouth end.
3. Let your mind run wild! Another tip is to think about your favorite past-time, activity or holiday; and focus on that. For example if you had a great beach holiday: how you felt on the beach with the sound of the waves and the feeling of the sand between your toes and the warm sunshine on your face. The greater the detail the more this technique will work for you.
Call us to see how we can help you.
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