Do You Experience Anxiety Before Coming To Our Practice?
Do you experience anxiety before going to the dentist? We understand that a dental office may not be your favorite place to be, but we want you to feel as comfortable as possible during your visit to ours. We believe in getting to know our patients and coming up with the best solutions to improve their overall comfort during exams and treatments. While it may seem like overcoming dental anxiety is a mountainous feat, there are several techniques you can try to make your dentist visit bearable and possibly even a calm and relaxing experience. Continue reading to learn more.
Dental Anxiety
It is not uncommon for patients to experience feelings of anxiety before scheduling an appointment, upon arriving at our office, or while awaiting treatment. The degree to which a person experiences anxiety can vary. However, the main concern is when these feelings cause patients to delay dental procedures and routine examinations, resulting in tooth decay and further complications.
Tips to Overcome Anxiety
There are some simple steps a patient can take to help deal with minor dental anxiety:
- Be mindful of what you eat and drink – foods and beverages that contain caffeine or have a high sugar content will not help anxiety. It is best to eat a protein filled meal to help calm your system.
- Listen to music – bring your favorite headphones and create a calming playlist of your favorite songs to drown out the noises of the office.
- Use breathing techniques – it is best to breathe deeply and slowly during treatments. When nervous, patients have a tendency to hold their breath slightly, which can increase anxiety.
Another Option
If you feel that you suffer from an extreme form of dental anxiety, you may be a candidate for sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry uses medication to help patients relax during procedures. Our office uses oral sedation, or conscious sedation, which involves taking a pill prior to a procedure. The benefit of this method is that it allows the patient to achieve total relaxation while remaining awake during the procedure.
If you live in the Seattle, WA area and have not scheduled a cleaning in some time or are due for a dental treatment, put your fears aside, pick up the phone, and call our office to schedule your next appointment. If you are struggling with dental anxiety, we encourage you to speak to one of our wonderful staff members who will further assist you by discussing the options that may be available. We hope to see you soon!
Do you experience nerves before coming to the dentist? We understand that coming to our office may not be your favorite place to be. We understand and we want you to feel as comfortable as possible during your visit. We believe in getting to know our patients. We want to understand your situation and help design a solution that works and promotes long-term health. Dr. Radkey feels that it is necessary for patients to understand what to expect during a visit to our office. To help calm your nerves before your visit, continue reading to learn more.
We always like to be prepared and understand what is going to happen in various life situations. Maybe you can relate. Since many patients feel anxiety when coming to our office, especially for the first time, we want to lay out what your visit will look like to help calm your nerves. We typically set aside approximately 70 minutes for a cleaning. Besides doing a thorough cleaning job, we like to make sure that we answer any questions, explain any treatment procedures that are required, and provide any additional treatment information that is requested.
Our cleanings consist of 4 stages:
- Removing Plaque and Tartar – During the initial cleaning phase, a dental scaler, and small handheld mirror is used to scrape plaque and tartar from around the gumline as well as between the teeth. The length of time between appointments and the level of tartar buildup will determine the length of this stage.
- Teeth Polishing – Once the tartar is removed, a gritty toothpaste and high-powered, motorized toothbrush will be used to further clean and polish your teeth. This stage leaves your teeth shiny and smooth.
- Flossing – We will floss between each of your teeth to not only remove leftover particles, but to also detect gum disease.
- Rinsing – The final stage is the easiest and the sign that you are almost done! You will be asked to rinse to ensure that all of the gritty polish and additional bacteria is removed.
If you live in the Seattle, WA area and have not scheduled a cleaning in quite some time, put your fears aside, pick up the phone, and call our office to schedule your next appointment. We hope we reassured you that you will have a pleasant experience and we look forward to seeing you soon!
Do you experience nerves before coming to the dentist? We understand that coming to our office may not be your favorite place to be. We understand and we want you to feel as comfortable as possible during your visit. We believe in getting to know our patients. We want to understand your situation and help design a solution that works and promotes long-term health. Dr. Radkey feels that it is necessary for patients to understand what to expect during a visit to our office. To help calm your nerves before your visit, continue reading to learn more.
We always like to be prepared and understand what is going to happen in various life situations. Maybe you can relate. Since many patients feel anxiety when coming to our office, especially for the first time, we want to lay out what your visit will look like to help calm your nerves. We typically set aside approximately 70 minutes for a cleaning. Besides doing a thorough cleaning job, we like to make sure that we answer any questions, explain any treatment procedures that are required, and provide any additional treatment information that is requested.
Our cleanings consist of 4 stages:
- Removing Plaque and Tartar – During the initial cleaning phase, a dental scaler, and small handheld mirror is used to scrape plaque and tartar from around the gumline as well as between the teeth. The length of time between appointments and the level of tartar buildup will determine the length of this stage.
- Teeth Polishing – Once the tartar is removed, a gritty toothpaste and high-powered, motorized toothbrush will be used to further clean and polish your teeth. This stage leaves your teeth shiny and smooth.
- Flossing – We will floss between each of your teeth to not only remove leftover particles, but to also detect gum disease.
- Rinsing – The final stage is the easiest and the sign that you are almost done! You will be asked to rinse to ensure that all of the gritty polish and additional bacteria is removed.
If you live in the Seattle, WA area and have not scheduled a cleaning in quite some time, put your fears aside, pick up the phone, and call our office to schedule your next appointment. We hope we reassured you that you will have a pleasant experience and we look forward to seeing you soon!
