A recent report about oral health in the United States revealed an astonishing truth. In one part of the report, researchers discovered that despite the fact that 77% of adults said they planned on visiting the dentist for a routine check-up in the next year, a whopping 37% followed through with that plan. All this confirms for our team at Beck Dental Care is that dental anxiety is still a pervasive roadblock to good oral health for millions of people in this country. That may seem like a bit of a leap, but when you think about why such a small portion of the population goes the dentist for cleanings and exams at least once each year, it’s not hard to form conclusions about why.
Honestly, what keeps people from the dentist office? You might hear excuses about a busy schedule being thrown around quite a bit, but the truth is, fear is keeping far too many people out of the dental chair and into the high risk group for gum disease. So our Columbia, TN dental team wants to use today’s blog as on opportunity to help all of you out there who fall into this category of dental anxiety sufferers. We’re offering two ways you can beat dental anxiety this year for the sake of your oral health.
Strategy #1 – Figure Out The Cause Of Your Fear
There’s more to dental anxiety than just a nagging feeling you get on the day of your appointment. True dental fear is the kind of dread and panic that inspires you to cancel your appointments altogether or to never schedule them in the first place. In order to overcome your fears about dental care, you need to try to understand where they’re coming from. This way, you can face them and learn to get past them for good. Ponder these questions that point to common reasons people don’t get dental treatment they need:
*Do you think we’ll judge you?
You might have stayed out of the dentist office long enough to have real problems going on in your mouth. This can naturally make you apprehensive about letting a dentist or hygienist take a look.
It’s embarrassing for many people, and it could make you think you’ll be judged or lectured when you finally do make it to an appointment.
But we will never, ever shame you, lecture you, or judge you at Beck Dental Care! Our job is to earn your trust and to help you get a healthy mouth for life. So this is one cause of dental fear you can put out of your mind!
*Are you scared of what a dental exam will reveal?
Like we said, you could have multiple dental problems by now, which only intensifies your fears that kept you away from the dentist to begin with. The thought of how many treatments you may need to get back on track can be really scary.
At Beck Dental Care, you have no reason to fear! That’s because we go out of our way to make you feel comfortable, and we offer sedation options that will help you completely relax for a pain-free, stress-free dental experience.
*Do you think your appointments will be just like traumatic ones you had as a kid?
While we completely understand this one, we also know that many people don’t realize how much dental treatments and procedures have changed for the better in recent years.
Advances in technology have made painful dentistry a thing of the past. All you have to do is simply pay us a visit one day, and we can show you some of the ways treatment has become far more comfortable than ever before!
*Do you find it hard to relax in the dental chair?
If you’re usually the person calling the shots in your daily life, maybe as a supervisor at work or a parent at home, then giving up that control can be really uncomfortable.
You can easily panic when you don’t know what’s going on or what will happen next.
Here, we don’t keep you in the dark about what’s happening. We won’t rush through your appointment, but instead, will take our time with you and continue to check on how you’re feeling during treatment.
Strategy #2: Give Sedation Dentistry A Try
Here are a few ways we can help you build confidence so you can maintain routine dental appointments to keep your mouth healthy:
*We offer several comfort options to help you relax like blankets, pillows, and TVs.
*You can opt for nitrous oxide if you feel mildly anxious.
*You can take a pill before your appointment so you’ll feel very much at ease during treatment.
*To ease your high, intense anxiety, you can opt for our IV sedation, which will put you in a state of total relaxation so that you may not even remember your appointment at all!
Call Us To Learn More!
Help is available at Beck Dental Care! You can get back to better oral health and have a beautiful smile with these two simple strategies and with the support of our warm, caring team in Columbia, TN!
To learn more about how we can change the way you see dentistry, call us today at (931) 388-8452 or fill out our online form to ask questions or request an appointment.