How To Deal With Dental Anxiety Sherman, TX

How To Deal With Dental Anxiety Sherman, TX

Many people may not know why they fear going to the Sherman, TX dentist. They may not understand why their heart races when they enter their dental office. Sometimes this fear can be so powerful that they may feel out of control. When the fear of seeing the dentist causes extreme physical and emotional stress, this is called dental anxiety. 

Being a little nervous when seeing the dentist is normal. However, when the tense feeling turns into full-blown anxiety, where a person avoids visiting the dentist, receiving extra help to remain calm may be necessary. Avoiding the dentist is not the right way to deal with dental anxiety. Avoiding the dentist affects your oral health as well as your overall health. Dental fear, unfortunately, leads to your teeth and gums suffering a lack of proper care. It results in crucial dental and health issues. 

Dental anxiety must have to hold a person back from getting needed treatment. Having dental anxiety is very common, and almost all dental offices provide their patients with ways to help ease any fears they may have. 

Gray Oak Family Dental uses several methods to help ease their patients’ anxiety. We will give suggestions on what people can do on their own to calm their dental fears. 

For most people, dental anxiety occurs because they fear the pain they think dental procedures may cause. With advancements in the dental field, a person can almost always expect little or no discomfort. In the past, the only way to limit what a person would feel during a procedure was to apply local anesthesia to the area. It would require using a needle, which can cause fear and anxiety for many people.

Although Gray Oak Family Dental is still using local anesthesia, they also use sedation with or without local anesthesia. At our Sherman, Texas office, we provide three types of sedation to calm the dental anxiety of our patients. These three types include:

* Oral sedation – Oral sedation is in pill form you will drink before their appointment. Oral sedation allows each patient to be conscious but very relaxed.

* Nitrous oxide –  is the most commonly used sedation, also called the laughing gas. Nitrous oxide works by applying a nose cover over the patient nose, allowing them to breathe in the laughing gas. The patient is conscious but is relaxed and unaware of what is happening.

* IV sedation – When a person has IV sedation, they are not conscious during the procedure. Upon placing an IV in the patient’s arm, they become very relaxed to the point where they fall asleep until the treatment is over.

Although sedation is very effective in easing dental anxiety, there are also several things a person can do to help them relax before their appointment. Using easy suggestions can also help a person feel less anxious at their next dental visit. These suggestions include:

* Use relaxing breathing techniques 

* Listen to soothing music

* Have someone come with you

* Get to the appointment not too early

* Ask the dentist questions

Gray Oak Family Dental strives to make each patient dental experience as stress-free as possible. They desire to help their patients feel comfortable in their offices and maintain their oral health. At Gray Oak Family Dental, they devote themselves to helping their patients achieve the beautiful smiles they have always wanted. When a person experiences dental anxiety and avoids going to their dentist in Sherman, TX, oral health will suffer.

If you or someone you know is suffering from dental anxiety, it is significant to realize that you have to suffer anymore. At Gray Oak Family Dental, they work hard to make their patients comfortable. Each patient’s needs are very important to their Sherman Texas team. Contact our dental office today to learn more about how to combat dental anxiety.

Book an appointment today