Sweaty Palms. Increased Heartbeat. The urge to flee. An estimated 15% of dental patients experience some level of dental anxiety when it’s time for a dental checkup. This anxiety can be a result of a number of factors but no matter the cause, it keeps patients from receiving the dental care that they need. If you need a root canal but are in this club of people who fear the dentist, we can offer some tips to help make your trip to Cascade Endodontics a little less overwhelming.
Let’s take a look at some of the common causes of dental anxiety:
Feeling Helpless or Out of Control: Being confined to a chair and unable to talk or move can feel very claustrophobic for some dental patients. If you feel this way during your visit, let Dr. Jon Jenson know beforehand and he can make plans to accommodate you if you feel the need to get up, take a break and walk around during your visit.
Fear of Pain: Most dental practices offer a variety of pain management options. Anesthesia is administered for any in depth dental procedures like root canals or endodontic retreatment. If fear of needles is also a concern, Nitrous oxide can relax you before administration of the pain medicine. Sedation dentistry is common for those with more severe dental anxiety and fear of pain.
Bad Past Experiences: Unfortunately you can’t do anything to change the past. Whether it was a cleaning that was too rough or a dentist that didn’t understand your needs, you may have had a negative dental experience that has contributed to your current anxiety. The good news is that if you take a chance on a skilled endodontist, you could have a positive beneficial experience that can help erase the memory and make you less apprehensive about moving forward with dental care in the future.
Embarrassment About Oral Health: This can be quite the chicken/egg situation. People are afraid of the dentist, so they skip appointments, which makes their oral health worse, which makes them embarrassed about seeing a dentist so they avoid going….and so on. Whatever you have that you’re worried about-fear not. Dentists really have seen it all and chances are, your mouth is not the worst case they’ve seen.
Whatever the cause of your anxiety, know that there are ways to overcome it. Our friendly team at Cascade Endodontics in Orem UT would love to help you have a positive experience with root canals. Whether you need a root canal, treatment of a tooth injury or an apicoectomy, we want to give you a reason to be excited about visiting the endodontist.