Many people dread that visit to the dentist, especially if it's their first visit. Even if you have been to the dentist many times, you might find that you still have a fear of the dentist. Fearing the dentist is not something you should do and is usually grounded in an irrational psychological couching. There are a number of things that you can do to cope with your visit to the dentist's office and to ease your fear of your visit.

Don't Fly Solo

Many people make the mistake of going to the dentist's office alone. If you are scared, you might think that going alone is a way to "get over" your fear. The fact of the matter is, one of the scariest aspects of going to a dentist's office is, for many people, waiting in the waiting room. While waiting alone, you can expect to be alone with your thoughts, and if you have have an overactive imagination, you might find your fears exacerbated. Going to a dentist's office with someone you are close to can provide you a distraction you from your thoughts. By focusing on other things, you can ease your mind away from focusing on your fear.

Distraction In The Dentist's Chair

If you find yourself still a bit scared while you're sitting in the dentist's chair, there are a variety of ways that you can distract yourself. For example, many dentists do not mind if you listen to music while you're in their chair. Bring in a CD player or your mp3 player and listen to favorite music. It might be best for you to listen to some new music, as well, something you deeply want to pay attention to and not something you've heard a number of times and can simply ignore. By playing new music, you'll focus your attention on that rather than what's occurring inside of your mouth.

Relaxation Techniques

Anxiety is something that is bound to occur to those fearing a trip to the dentist's office. Luckily, there are things you can do to curb this phenomenon. Anxiety is often manifested as restlessness in your body, and as such, one of the best things you can do is try to perform relaxation techniques. For example, you can perform deep breathing techniques that will serve to both relax you and distract you from the fact that you are in the dentist's office. Before sitting in the dentist's chair, breathe deeply through your nose and then out through your mouth. This can serve to relax the body and allow your restlessness to subside.

Sedatives

Sedatives are usually an option in most dental offices and are a matter that you should discuss with your dentist. There are a number of options that you have at your disposal. For example, nitrous oxide (or "laughing gas") has become a popular sedative in dental offices across the country.

Many other dentists are only comfortable with other forms of sedatives, such as oral sedatives, which cause quite heavy relaxation but pose no real danger to the patient. Other doctors do not use sedatives at all, but will only apply local anesthetic. Discuss what options you have available at your disposal with your dentist.

Going to the dentist's office can be a stress inducing and even horrific experience for many people. Hopefully, this brief list has given you some idea of how you can curb these problems. If you still experience fear when going to the dentist, talk to a professional dentist, like those found at http://www.cresthillfamilydental.com, about more ways to help you address your fears and visit the dentist without anxiety.

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