Braces versus Retainers: A Comprehensive Overveiw

Helping Patients With Dental Anxiety

19 December 2018 by Lonnie Bryant

Dental anxiety or fear affects quite a number of individuals, making them avoid or delay their visit to the dental clinic. They can also become difficult to treat as they will need more time to handle the behaviours they might exhibit, which pose as barriers to treatment. Such situations can be stressful for the dentist.

There are various signs that indicate a patient has dental anxiety. During their visit to the dentist's clinic, a patient can start fidgeting with their fingers or hands, flicking through magazines rapidly, frequently change sitting positions, sweating, breathing fast, sitting at the edge of the seat, sighing deeply, pacing and having startled reactions. You may also note that individuals who have dental anxiety will have poor dental health. The staff should pick up on such behaviours to offer helpful remedies. Note some ways in which help can be given to these individuals.

Giving Control to The Patient

To achieve this, you will require to consider three things: tell-show-do, rest breaks and signalling.

Tell-show-do means telling the patient how the procedure will take place including instruments to be used and why, demonstrating and then performing the procedure. Rest breaks are important especially when the patient is unable to bear with the procedure. If the patient requests the break, it is crucial that you as a dentist allow it so as to give the patient a sense of control hence reduce the fear.

Sit down with the patient and identify signals that will enhance communication during a procedure. The patient will be in a position of confidence knowing that if anything might happen, he or she will be able to communicate. An example of signalling can be a raise of a hand, pointing or a wave each indicating something different.

Visual and Auditory Distraction

For some patients presenting distractions can help reduce chances of anxiety. This can be music, VR glasses or a television.

Relaxation Breathing

Before a procedure, breathing exercise may be effective in relaxing a patient. Slow deep breaths followed by holding the breath for a few seconds then slowly exhaling. The patient can also practise this at home. Breathing exercises calm the patient's nerves and make him or her ready for the procedure. This can also be combined with soft music during the procedure.

Organised Desensitisation

This includes regularly exposing the patient to the dreaded aspect of dentistry and encouraging them to use a relaxation strategy.

For more information, contact a company like Care Dental today.

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