According to a study by the BDA, a large number of Britons deliberately avoid their routine dental check-ups because of fear and anxiety. The question is why do they fear dentists or suffer from dental anxietyon the first place?

Reasons to suffer from dental anxiety

A survey conducted in London reveals some interesting facts:

• The majority of the people, who avoid routine dental visits, anticipate pain during check-ups. In fact, many of them retain terrible experiences from the past and convince themselves that those routine check-ups are unnecessary.
• There’s another sub-group in this category, which believes the dentist won’t give them enough importance and neglect their problems.
• Yet, another section of these people can’t withstand the sterile smell present at a dental office.

This anxiety is mostly based on fear perception and must be resolved. “If your dental anxiety doesn’t get resolved, your oral health is more likely to deteriorate. As a result, you may be required to undergo more serious dental treatments in the future,” points out Dr. Mori Shahid – the clinical director and principal dentist at the Shirley Park Dental Surgery in South Croydon.

Quality communication between you and your dentist is the best way to overcome the dental fear or anxiety. As a patient, when you feel you’re well-informed and in full control to take decisions regarding your treatment, you automatically feel much more relaxed and the fear subsides.

It’s relevant mentioning in the ongoing context that modern dentistry has evolved a lot to provide treatments as pain-free as possible. Dentists and dental support staff are now better equipped to handle nervous patients. It’s important to gain the confidence of the patients first and then proceed with the necessary treatments.

If you too get easily scared about dental treatments, here’re some tips to help you keep your calm.

Tips to stay calm during dental visits

• Communicate your anxiety to your dentist. When you share your concerns, the dentist will adapt the appropriate procedures to provide you with a memorable experience that has caused this anxiety to build up.
• While sitting at the dental chair, focus on breathing normally. This definitely reduces both your stress and fear.
• Tune in some music through earphones to drown the eerie sound of the dental drill machine and other equipment.
• Avoid caffeine and sugary foods or drinks before an oral health check-up. Instead, have protein-rich foods, which give a calming effect.

In addition to the tips discussed above, you should book your dental appointments at early mornings or on Saturdays – when you’re likely to be less stressed out.

Finding a dentist is now easier than ever – thanks to the Internet. You can easily type in or use the Google Voice Search with strings like “NHS dentist near me” to reach out to a reliable dental practice.

Follow the strategies discussed above and your anxiety will automatically reducewhile sitting at the dental chair in a practice.