Before we delve into overcoming fear, we have to first understand where fear comes from. The title suggests that you can use your mind to overcome your fear, but isn’t that where the fear comes from? Absolutely, which is why we begin at the source. For most of our patients, an extreme fear of the dentist formed during a bad experience at some point earlier in life. Sometimes the patient himself/herself had the bad experience; sometimes a loved one of the patient had a bad experience. In either situation, we now have an adult who is terrified of a doctor’s office to the point that the patient would rather live in pain rather than get treatment. Clearly, we must do something about this.
Levels of Success
Our first recommendation is that you retrain your brain. This starts with letting go of the fear and anxiety you feel. We realize that you can’t just let go without a reason to let go, so come see us. We’ll give you a reason to let go of your fear. When you enter our office, you’ll feel relaxed. Our waiting room will be empty, we will offer you a drink, pillow, DVD player, etc to make you feel comfortable. You’ll hear our staff enjoying their day, and you’ll feel more at ease. The first level of success is to relax while you prepare for your procedure.
Sitting in the waiting room is totally different from sitting in the examination chair, we’ll give you that much. Come into the room with a positive outlook. We’ll give you reason to trust us. If you’re feeling anxious, just let us know. Taking advantage of our sedation methods can help you relax enough to feel good during your examination. We’ll constantly be checking in with you to be sure you’re feeling great. The second level of success is to learn to trust us during your examination.
If you require a more in-depth procedure, you might be feeling even more anxious. All’s well until someone holds up a dental instrument, right? This is definitely time to talk with us about what you’re feeling, and take advantage of the sedation methods we have to offer. We can use nitrous oxide or even IV sedation so that you can literally sleep through your procedure. We don’t expect you to become brave overnight, but we do want to see you use our resources so that you can start to feel differently about your dental care. The third level of success is to undergo a procedure without pain or fear, and wake up with a smile you can be proud of.
Our Patients
Our patients tell us that over time, they have learned to retrain their brains. What used to seem unthinkable is now commonplace. We promise that if you give us a chance, we can also change your dental health story from one of fear to one of pride. Contact us today to set up an appointment. Let us walk through this journey with you!
