During routine dental examinations and cleanings, dentists can detect oral symptoms of stress, including orofacial pain, bruxism, temporomandibular disorders (TMJ), mouth sores and gum disease.
Dentists probably aren't even aware of whether patients have their eyes open or closed, or if they have one eye open and one eye closed. All that really matters is that dentists keep their eyes open. And get a good night's sleep before using that drill.
Communicate your concerns. Explain to your dentist why you're embarrassed before your visit. Sharing your concerns with the dentist and dental staff will help them adapt their treatment to your needs and put you at ease while you're in the chair.
Dentists work hard to make sure our dental problems go away, so it's nice once in a while to give your dentist a handwritten note yo say thank you! Your dentist deserves the gesture, and they will appreciate it too! Use our dentist message examples below to let your favorite dentist know how much you appreciate them!
Keeping secrets from your dentist can prevent them from giving you the right treatment. Being truthful is critical to addressing the root cause of the problem to ensure that you have better oral and overall health in the future.
Tell your dental team of your anxiety and your worst fears. Do tell them of any of the most painful experiences that you have ever heard with dental care providers. This helps them know how to care for you better and ensure that they take every precaution. Thus, so that you don't experience that pain you fear most.
Tip #1: There's No Reason to Be Embarrassed
It's the dentist's job to provide professional oral care and advice—not to judge or shame their patients. Depending on the dentist's chairside manner, they might give a mild lecture or some good-natured teasing about staying away so long.
Nitrous oxide, aka laughing gas, relaxes all but the most stressed patients, as can oral sedation, where the patient takes a small dose of an oral sedative. In cases of extreme anxiety, or for extremely long and/or complex procedures, the dentist could also administer IV sedation.
From chronic health conditions like diabetes to seeing signs of cancer early on, a dentist can get a very clear look at both your dental health and overall health just by looking in your mouth and at your teeth. Our Fuquay Varina dentist is sharing a few things we can see during your checkup.
To Ease Dental Anxiety
However, I understand that needles, drills, and other dental tools can be intimidating. So, many times I use small talk to distract my patient, and I find that it helps to reduce dental anxiety. Small talk may include asking about family, work, or school.
Oral anxiety relieving (anxiolytic) medications (such as temazepam) are sometimes prescribed by dentists or doctors to help anxious patients relax. A short-acting, small, single dose is usually taken one hour before the dental appointment.
Your dentist may prescribe anti-anxiety drugs, such as diazepam (Valium), that you can take one hour before a scheduled dental visit. Your dentist may also recommend conscious sedation, such as nitrous oxide (or “laughing gas”), which can help calm nerves.
No matter what your oral health condition is, a good dentist will not make you feel bad about it. Instead, they'll give you advice, recommendations, and treatment options to help make it better so you can have the best dental health possible.
Can Dentists tell if you have depression? Dentists are trained to look for signs of depression, but they are not mental health professionals. However, some telltale signs may indicate that a person is struggling with depression. For example, people who are depressed may have trouble taking care of their teeth.
What is dentophobia? People with dentophobia, also called odontophobia, have a fear of dentists. Someone with dentophobia may have extreme anxiety at the thought of going to the dentist or while in the dentist's office.
Distract yourself
Try some of these strategies: Bring your earbuds, and listen to music, a podcast, or an audiobook. Listen to guided meditations — there are some that specifically focus on anxiety, fear, and pain. Hold a fidget toy, or squeeze a stress ball.
There is no downside to brushing your teeth before a dentist appointment. Many patients do this because they are worried about having bad breath at the dentist. If you don't have a chance to brush your teeth though, don't worry. The dental hygienist is going to eliminate anything you would have cleaned on your own.
Faking sleep is extreme; most people who close their eyes at the dentist's are just relaxing or spiriting their minds away from the physical discomfort and forced intimacy of a dental exam.
You can make your teeth look good before a dental appointment by brushing, flossing, and using mouthwash. Brushing and flossing will eliminate any food particles stuck between the teeth, and mouthwash will freshen up the mouth. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix to make your teeth look good the day of.
As a patient, you want to hear a smaller number. That means that you have a smaller gap between the tooth and gum, a sign of a healthy mouth. A larger or a higher number indicates that you have gum issues such as plaque and tartar buildup. If you hear numbers of 0 or 1, you are doing pretty well.