Are you one in the millions of Americans considered to have a dental phobia? Maybe you had a bad experience as a child, maybe you just can’t handle people and instruments that close to your face. Whatever it is, you’re definitely not alone. Dental anxiety and phobia are extremely common.
The most common fear of visiting the dentist is having a tooth drilled and the local anesthetic injection. People are not born with a fear of the dentist, you develop it and can overcome it. Today dentistry is much different than it used to be. It can be a pain free, anxiety free experience. Relaxation and sedation techniques have been proven in helping overcome dental phobias.
Some of the signs of dental phobia include:
- You feel tense or have trouble sleeping the night before a dental exam.
- You get increasingly nervous while you’re in the waiting room.
- You feel like crying when you think of going to the dentist. The sight of dental instruments — or of white-coated personnel in the dentist’s office — increases your anxiety.
- The thought of a dental visit makes you feel physically ill.
- You panic or have trouble breathing when objects are placed in your mouth during a dental appointment. (Source: colgate.com)
For those that are very anxious or if you are undergoing a longer procedure we offer conscious sedation, mention this to your dental professional. They will surely take time to use a combination of medications that put you into a very relaxed dreamlike state.
Our patients have commented that if they had known how comfortable treatment was under sedation, they never would have had any worries about dental treatment.
For more information about dental anxiety, call Dr. Schneider in Mooresville, NC at 704-660-1802 or visit www.schneidersmiles.com.
Drs. Catherine and Kenneth Schneider proudly serve patients from Mooresville and all surrounding areas.