Many people suffer from a crippling fear of the dentist. This fear often makes it incredibly difficult to get the dental care that is needed, even when it is an emergency. There is a myriad of problems that can arise from this, infections, loss of teeth, and much more. Because of the serious problems that can arise from avoiding the dentist, it is of the utmost importance to find ways to conquer your fears and make regular trips to the dentist as well as any emergency trips. While this can be a difficult and long process, it is well worth it to protect your teeth and your overall health. There are several steps that you can take and methods of relaxation to utilize that will help you conquer your fear and keep your mouth healthy. Different people find that different methods and techniques work best for them. It is generally best to learn about multiple techniques, try them all, and then utilize the ones that work the best. What you will find here is a list of the most commonly utilized relaxation methods and the best steps to take to help you deal with your fear of the dentist.
The first thing that you need to do in order to begin the process of overcoming your fear is to get to the root of the cause. Sometimes fear is entirely irrational, but other times there is an underlying cause, even if the person does not realize it. It is important to determine if there is an underlying cause and if so, what it is. Many times the cause of our deepest fears gets buried deep in the psyche in an attempt for our conscious mind to deal with it. This can make it difficult, even mentally painful to dredge up the memories necessary to recall the cause of your fear. Often, these fears are caused by trauma, often experienced in childhood. When it comes to a fear of dentists, this could be something as simple as having to undergo a procedure such as having a cavity drilled or something much more complex such as inappropriate behavior from a dentist. It not even have to do directly with the dentist, but instead some event that coincided with a visit to the dentist. This could be anything from a car wreck to the death of a loved one or pet to a broken toy. Whatever the event or reason, it is vital that it be faced head-on and dealt with accordingly. The term “dealing with your fear” can mean many things depending on the exact fear, the specific person, and the best ways to look at specific fears. For some people, handling your fear may only require deep breathing and meditation. For others, it may require extensive treatment from a certified psychiatrist. Each individual person will need to determine how deep and severe their personal fear is. If you feel, to any degree that you cannot handle the fear on your own, do not hesitate to reach out for help. Keep in mind that this help can come from friends, family members, colleagues, or professional.
There are many reasons to need a dentist and there are many times when it helps tamp down the fear to focus on the reasons and cause. There are, of course, the obvious reasons, taking care of the teeth; however, there are also other reasons that have more to do with the mouth as a whole. For example, people who suffer from TMJ, a problem with the temporomandibular joint, it is often necessary to visit a dentist regularly. If you are unfamiliar with the term, the temporomandibular joint is the place where the jaw attaches to the rest of the skull. If you place your fingertips on the jaw just below your ear and move your jaw, you will be able to feel the joint moving. Anytime something causes a problem with this joint is referred to as TMJ disorder. Depending on the cause, a dentist can help in several different ways such as prescribing a mouth guard, installing braces, or aiding the patient who are looking to how do you treat TMJ as soon as possible. When you can focus on the reason you are going to the dentist it can help with anxiety exponentially. Also, this gives you the opportunity to research the possible treatments that you will need to undergo while at your appointment. This too will help to ease your fear and anxiety.
There are certain relaxation techniques that are almost always recommended to help people conquer their jaw pain or their fears of going to be seen by a dentist. This includes deep breathing and meditation. One is more to help you in a moment of fear and panic while the other is more to maintain an overall calm. Both are easy to do. For deep breathing, it is exactly what it sounds like. To begin, breath in slowly and deeply through your nose. It is often recommended to slowly count to eight in your mind while breathing in to ensure you are going slow enough. Then hold that breath while you count to four. The next step is to slowly release the breath through your mouth while counting to eight once again. Repeat these steps until the panic begins to ease. As for meditation, this too is very simple and can be done anywhere. Generally, it is best to be somewhere you can either sit or lay down and close your eyes. If this is not possible, it can be done with the eyes open but is it still best to be sitting down. Once you are situated, you will begin to breathe evenly and deeply. This breathing should not be as deep as when you are deep breathing, instead, just fill your lungs with a normal breath. While breathing begins to relax your muscles one group at a time. Start with the neck muscle and work your way down your body alternating sides. While doing this, conjure a picture in your mind of a beautiful and tranquil place. This place can be real or imagined. Add details such as the way it smells, the way it sounds, and what the air fills like. This is where your mind can go when you need to escape and relax. This place is perfect. Some people play soft, tranquil music of nature sounds while meditating, others prefer total silence, it is entirely up to you. Although, you should definitely avoid television, radio, and loud music.
