It’s natural to feel a little anxiety before a dental procedure, however, what’s not natural is a fear so deep that it results in you missing appointments or having panic attacks. If you are someone who has dental fear, we’re here for you. We want you to feel comfortable in our office and know that your oral health is our top priority. If you have dental fear, here are some of our tips on how you can begin working to overcome it. 

Understanding Dental Anxiety  

Dental anxiety is the term we use to describe fear, anxiety, or stress that a patient might feel surrounding going to the dentist, an upcoming dental procedure, or just fear of the dentist in general. Being scared of the dentist can lead to missing appointments and avoiding much-needed dental treatments. Further, dental anxiety can be triggered by things such as needles, drills, or other tools in the dental clinic. 

BetterHealth explains that when this form of anxiety is severe enough, it can lead to irrational fear and complete avoidance of visiting the dentist. Further, if severe enough, it can be called dental phobia. They explain the signs of dental anxiety to include: 

• Sweating 
• Racing heartbeat or palpitations
• Low blood pressure and possible fainting
• Visible distress, crying, or other signs of panic 
• Withdrawal, or using humor or aggression to mask anxiety 

How Dental Anxiety Affects Oral Health

People often don’t realize that mental health can directly affect your oral health. For example, research has shown that people with dental phobia tend to have worse oral health than those who do not. Those with dental phobia were also found to be at a higher likelihood of having untreated cavities due to missed dental appointments, poor oral hygiene, and more. 

When a patient avoids the dentist for long periods of time, it is likely that when they finally make it to the dentist they will need more complex treatment. Avoidance can lead to procedures such as a root canal, crowns, tooth removal, and more due to untreated cavities and advanced decay. 

How to Treat Dental Fear 

The way we determine how to help you overcome your dental fear is based on how severe your fear truly is. We recommend first coming in for a consultation appointment. During this time, we don’t even have to look in your mouth. We can just sit and discuss your fear and what you believe it will take to help you feel comfortable in our dental clinic. 

If your fear is mild and you just feel slightly anxious, we may recommend at-home tips for calming down before your appointment. Further, we may also recommend having a family member or friend come with you to help keep you calm while you’re here. 

If you are someone who has a deeper fear of the dentist than just slight anxiety, we will suggest the tips above in addition to discussing with you a stop signal. This will help you control the appointment. If you begin to feel too uneasy, simply using your stop signal will tell the dentist and their team that you need a moment. For those who are most nervous about the sound of the tools and equipment, we recommend bringing a set of headphones and listening to your favorite music or podcast during your treatment. 

Now, if you’re someone who suffers from severe dental phobia, we offer sedation dentistry. We know that people don’t always feel at ease when coming to the dentist, but sedation dentistry can help you feel more calm and relaxed while you’re in the dental chair. 

Sedation Dentistry 

At Mountain Aire Dentistry, we offer oral conscious sedation. This type of sedation includes taking a sedative pill before your scheduled appointment time with us. By the time your appointment begins, you will feel more calm and at ease. Oral sedation is a conscious sedation, which means that you will not be unconscious. However, even though this is the case, you may not remember every aspect of your appointment. Patients who opt for this to remain calm will need to have someone drive them home after their appointment. 

Make an Appointment with Mountain Aire Dentistry

At Mountain Aire Dentistry, Dr. Chris Bockrath and our team want you to feel relaxed, calm, and safe while you’re at your appointment. To learn more about sedation dentistry and how we can help ease your dental fear, call us today at (303)-731-7755. Located conveniently right here in Broomfield, we’re here for you!