Does the thought of visiting the dentist give you sweaty hands or a sinking pit in your stomach? Based on our experience, we can assure you that you are not alone. In fact, at our Garden Ridge dentist office, we experience quite a few cases where individuals wait until it becomes absolutely necessary to make an appointment.
As the area’s preferred Garden Ridge family dentist, we completely understand these fears and strive to make our patients as comfortable as possible when they pay a visit to our office. If you’re searching for a new Garden Ridge dentist or are planning on your very first visit, we want to ease you through the process. Here is some information on dental anxiety and tips to overcome it.
The Fear of Dentists
A fear of dentists is not uncommon, but where does it come from? There are actually a variety of reasons that a person can develop dental anxiety. One of those reasons stems from a bad childhood experience. In some cases, an individual has experienced a traumatic dental visit where a dentist has mistakenly scraped their gums during a dental cleaning or a tooth was drilled prior to the pain medicine kicking in.
These types of instances can be difficult to forget and can lead an individual to avoid the dentist altogether. This can be worse with those who suffer from an anxiety disorder, which is another reason people fear the dentist. While an individual with an anxiety disorder may have never had a bad experience at their Garden Ridge dentist, the disorder itself will provoke a feeling of anxiousness that will get a person rattled by a trip to the Garden Ridge family dentist.
Then there are those who do not like being at the mercy of a Garden Ridge dentist with sharp objects, fearful of a potential injury. Dental treatments are also another reason individuals fear the dentist. Oftentimes, people will put off a visit to the dentist because they are worried the dental treatment they’ll receive will be painful. Unfortunately, postponing a visit will often lead to an emergency dentist visit where the treatment options may be more intense than they would have been had that patient seen a dentist sooner.
Dealing with Dental Anxiety
The first step to overcoming dental anxiety is to understand the causes. Is it caused by any of the reasons listed above or is it something less complicated? Once you’ve discovered the reason behind your dental anxiety, you can begin to overcome your fear. The first step is to schedule an appointment with your dentist, Garden Ridge Center for Dentistry, to discuss your procedure so you know what to expect. Our office offers same day dental appointments for your convenience. We also provide patient dental surgery post-op instructions and pre & post-op sedation instructions on our Patient Resources on our website.
We also suggest bringing a friend or family member along. Dental anxiety knows no age, so if you’re worried about your dental visit, bring someone along that will help put you at ease. Noise-canceling headphones are also a great way to ease dental anxiety as they drown out the sounds of dental tools. Next, be sure to ask your Garden Ridge dentist about pain management options so you know what to expect prior to your appointment.
Dental anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of as millions of people experience it. Our staff is here to help put you at ease and provide you with a pain-free and exceptional experience. Following your search for ‘dentist near me’, schedule your appointment with Garden Ridge Center for Dentistry at 210.651.5100 and start the path to a beautiful, healthy smile!
