\"Dental Phobia\" - Are you afraid of the dentist

Do you cringe when someone mentions the word, Dentist?

Are you afraid of the Dentist?

Well, you are not alone! Millions of people around the world have some level of dental phobia. Unfortunately you cannot get a foot massage or win a million dollars during your next cleaning. Note to dentists: "Hiring a masseuse to massage my feet would get me to change dentists!!"

All kidding aside. Here are some suggestions to help you out with your fear of the dentist.

Ask the dentists ways for him or her to make you feel relaxed and calm. Music is very calming under stressful situations; it always soothes a newborn. Ask the dentists if it would be ok if you brought your music player while the dentist and hygienist cleaned your teeth or filled a cavity. Many dentists today actually have music available in each room. My dentist actually gives me the option to choose which type of music I would like to listen to, right down to the artist and title of the song or I can choose which station to watch if I would prefer to watch television.

Ask the dentist what work the hygienist will perform and which work the dentist will perform. Knowing your hygienist is just as important as knowing your dentist. A dentist with an amazing chair side manner can be meaningless if his or her hygienists are rude and unfriendly.

Ask the dentist if they think that the procedure they are suggesting is essential to have done at the present moment. Some of us dread having so much dental work done at once, if we know that we need to get some work done immediately and other work done within a year it makes us feel a little calmer, knowing we have time to get the work done.

Ask the dentist how many times they did this sort of procedure. Ask them what you can expect in terms of discomfort, no discomfort, and healing time. There are so many new pieces of technology today that help make several procedures more comfortable and that improve healing time dramatically.

Let's face it you can always tell a lot from an office staff. Are the office persons friendly and courteous? Are the knowledgeable about insurance and other essentials? Is the waiting room over crowded? If you tend to tell the receptionist about some fears you are experiencing, it tends to keep the communication open within their office. They will tell the hygienist and the hygienist will explain the steps of your visit to you and ask if you have any questions.

%link 5943 Dr Fiss designed his new office to put patients at ease.%

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