One of the reasons people avoid dentists and being labelled as a dental patient is dental anxiety, which can stem from a terrible experience in the past or a dread of the uncertain future. Dental anxiety appears to be common, but the good news is that it is treatable. 

Some of the techniques that will help you cope with and overcome dental anxiety are as follows:

  • Acknowledge your dental fear and tell your dentist right away. Your dentist should first and foremost be aware of your anxiety so that they can effectively manage it and provide appropriate treatment when necessary such as anxiety relieving medications, happy gas, general anaesthesia and conscious sedation among others. You can ask a dentist in a country town such as Bacchus Marsh on how they professionally handle anxious patients during dental appointments in order to achieve optimal dental health.
  • Be mindful, take deep breaths and meditate.
  • Listen to music. Did you know that listening to music can help you overcome dental anxiety and general anxiety? Music as therapy can improve active participation in anxiety management by refocusing your attention, guiding you to proper deep breathing, promoting relaxation, and enhancing imagination. Some dentists think that country is the best for sleep dentistry so here are some country songs to add to your playlist the next time you have a dental appointment (taken from Lucie Bernheim’s collection).