According to research, approximately 36% of the population have some form of dental anxiety. Certain factors on why people can be from previous negative experiences at other dental offices, fear of being numb, the lack of control due to not being able to see what is exactly happening in your mouth, or some insecurity of not being seen at a dental office in a long time are just a few examples. We are here to tell you that your feelings are valid, and it is completely normal to have certain feelings about going to the dental office. We understand that this is not the first place that people want to go to. At our Chicago based dental loft we offer a variety of amenities to keep your dental anxiety low.In this blog we will go over certain things you can do at home and what we can offer for you at your dental visit here at Sugar Fix Dental Loft.
Research and Find the Right Dentist
When it comes to a dental office, finding an office that suits your needs is important. Your first phone call with an office should feel like you’re being welcomed with open arms by a caring staff that hears your needs and is understanding of your anxiety. Anything less is a red flag. Check out their google reviews and see what their patients say about their office and see if they help and work with their patients with dental anxiety.
Ask Questions
Ask the questions over the phone if you need to to really make your informed decision on coming to the office before you make your appointment. Do they offer amenities to help with your anxiety? Do they provide medication or laughing gas for your procedures if you need it? Can you bring a loved one or friend with you to help cope with your anxiety? Do they help with pain management? Do they take their time seeing their patients one at a time or are you seeing someone different every time you go to their office. These little things can make a big impact on your dental visit and it is nice to know ahead of time before you go to the office and have more anxiety of the unknown.
Try Relaxation Techniques at Home Before Coming to the Office
Deep abdominal breathing not only helps with dental anxiety but with overall anxiety as well! Try to take a 6 count inhale and hold the breath in for 4 seconds and exhale again for 6 seconds. Taking deep belly breaths help take the tension out of your body and get you back in the present moment physically. Plan ahead of time to not rush to your appointment and take a mindful walk or have a small meal. Take the time to get yourself relaxed before you head out and if you are already taking relaxation supplements take one before your visit to help with your anxiety.
What Sugar Fix Dental Loft Offers
At our Chicago based dental loft, we pride ourselves to be an office where we will take care of your dental anxiety. Dr. Brittany Dickinson is gentle and easy going to our patients, and will see each patient one at a time. What is different from most offices is that we will see you at our front office before bringing you back. We will always explain what we will do (if you like us too) and never start with a mirror in your mouth. We want to learn about your anxieties and help to the best of our ability to ensure your visit is stress free.
We offer an array of different amenities to help with dental anxiety just to list a few:
- We offer a warm spa neck pillow and cashmere blankets to help keep you comfortable.
- Lavender aromatherapy at your visits
- Noise-cancelling headphones and netflix so you don’t have to hear the loud handpieces
- We also offer oral sedation medication per patient request to ensure our patients are more relaxed or feeling light for their visit.
- If you would like us to, we also like to ensure you know what is going on and will explain what will happen next so you are not taken by surprise.
- We will always ensure you are pain free throughout your treatment.
Whatever your dental anxiety may be, Dr. Brittany Dickinson and her staff will always be equipped to help you through it. You deserve to feel comfortable, informed and leave the dental office feeling better than you did coming in. Give our office a call to schedule an appointment!