Do you struggle to build up the confidence to visit your dentist? Are you avoiding regular check ups? Whether it is new to you since covid or has always been something you’ve battled, you’re not alone – but you don’t have to suffer in silence. Read on to learn more.
If you do suffer from dental anxiety, you can take solace in the fact that you are definitely not alone. In fact, even before the covid pandemic, the UK’s Oral Health Foundation reported that one in five UK adults was afraid or anxious about visiting the dentist, with many missing their regular check ups as a result. A leading UK charity, the Oral Health Foundation, found that as many as 10 million adults in the UK suffer from dental anxiety.
According to the British Dental Association (BDA), many of those who suffer with dental anxiety either miss their regular check ups or even don’t see a dentist at all – unless they develop serious and painful problems.
Having a regular dental examination, on the other hand, can help to recognise and treat problems at the earliest possible stage, before they are able to develop further and possibly require invasive, uncomfortable treatment.
It is also worth noting that regular dental check ups also include screening for mouth cancer, which now affects over 8,000 UK adults every year. Early detection significantly increases your chances of survival.
There are many ways of approaching dental anxiety, and everybody is different. This means that different techniques will suit different patients. One of the most important things to do to overcome your anxiety is to choose a dentist you trust and who understands you – such as the team at Oak Mount Dental Practice.
Our team has found many different approaches to be of use, including creating a calm environment to provide treatment, as well as offering distraction therapy with music and video players.
For those with escalating anxiety, relaxation techniques and therapy using therapeutic oral sedatives can also be beneficial.
We have also found that many of our anxious patients benefit from hypnotherapy in order to overcome their fears. We are able to refer you to a local hypnotherapy clinic in order to help with your phobia.
Whatever the level of your anxiety, hypnotherapy can help you to understand and overcome the irrational basis of your fears. If necessary you can also be trained to use relaxation techniques to help you to feel calm whilst in the surgery.
To find out more about how we can help patients with dental anxiety, get in touch with the team today. Call now on 0161 445 1211.
Posted by Oak Mount Dental Practice
Website last updated: June 2022
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