1. Tell your dentist your have a severe phobia. A good dentist will know what techniques to implement to make your visit easier. Informing your dentist will give you a feeling of more control therefore easing your fears during treatment.
2. Improvements, dental science has greatly improved since the 70′s and even more so in the last decade.
3. Ask, ask about the procedure so you know what is coming up next. A lot of phobia stems from the unknown
4. Relaxation medications, consider using an anti anxiety drug or nitrous oxide. Anti anxiety drugs will need a driver home form your appointment while nitrous oxide will wear off 5 minutes after the procedure.
5. Communication, find a dentist who will openly communicate with you, good communication will help develop trust. If there is trust between you and your dentist then you will feel much more comfortable.
6. Relaxation techniques like breathing exercises or bringing your portable music player so you can focus on. Also try to schedule your appointments in the morning, you not have all day to think about your appointment .
7. Take a break, raise your hand to take inform your dentist that you want to take a break, most dental procedures can be stopped at anytime to give you a chance to sit up and catch your breathe.
8. Prevention, with good brushing and flossing techniques as taught to you by your dental hygienist can help you avoid lengthy dental treatments.
9. Start small, have your first appointment be an exam, then ramp up to a professional dental cleaning, then you can move onto more complex procedures.
10. Stop by and meet the dental team in order to discuss any fears you have.
Don’t be afraid the dentists at Carolina Dental Arts are here to help you.
I’ve also read an article related to dental phobia a while ago on http://www.not-yet-a-dentist.com/2012/04/dental-phobia.html You might find it interesting.