Dealing with Dental Phobia
Dealing with Dental Phobia (Dental Anxiety) - Newport News, Virginia
Dealing with Dental Phobia (Dental Anxiety)- Some patients experience great anxiety when receiving dental treatment. Often this can be traced back to an unpleasant experience that occurred earlier in life. For these patients, special care is necessary to help them overcome their dental phobia.
There are a number of approaches to treatment that can lessen anxiety for a dentally phobic patient. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is one such option. A second possibility is sedation dentistry, in which a patient is given medication before and during their treatment to keep them very drowsy.
The single most important feature in the treatment of dental phobics is a calm, reassuring group of dental professionals. Patients should be informed of what to expect during their dental treatment, especially if anything is likely to cause any temporary discomfort. In addition, communication in the dental office should occur in a calm, reassuring tone of voice. The patient should be given the opportunity to take a break from treatment any time they would like to. When the patient is given this freedom, they are less likely to fear the loss of control, so they are more likely to be relaxed during treatment.
