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Dental Anxiety

Anxious Patients Hawthorn Melbourne

James M

James Wong is a wonderful Dentist. The communication and patience through the procedure was first class.

James M

Dental anxiety is a common concern and affects more than 60% of the Australian population. Fear of the dentist can interfere with oral health, and people put off going to the dentist or avoid the dentist altogether. Whether the fear is from pain or a dental phobia, our team at Elevate Dental Hawthorn and Melbourne can help anxious patients and get their oral health back on track.

Dental anxiety is a common concern and affects more than 60% of the Australian population. Fear of the dentist can interfere with oral health, and people put off going to the dentist or avoid the dentist altogether. Whether the fear is from pain or a dental phobia, our team at Elevate Dental Hawthorn and Melbourne can help anxious patients and get their oral health back on track.

Dental Anxiety or Nerves?

 
Many people feel nervous about visiting the doctor or the dentist. But dental anxiety goes beyond nervousness and is more debilitating. Dental anxiety causes patients to avoid the dentist and neglect their oral health. More signs of dental anxiety are:

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Physical anxiety, such as increased heart rate, when thinking about dental appointments
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Sleeping interruption due to thinking about an upcoming dental appointment
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Avoiding the dentist, even with pain
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Nausea, sweaty palms, and other physical signs of anxiety when in a dentist’s waiting room
Each patient has their personal reasons for having dental anxiety, such as a previous negative dental treatment. It may have included pain, lack of proper anesthesia, or due to an unrecalled incident. Other causes of dental fears and anxieties may be:
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Fear of medical and dental offices
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Fear of dental tools
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Fear of pain and shots
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Fear of being numbed or anesthetised
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Fear of loss of personal space and/or claustrophobia
Dental anxiety affects children and adults, but can be overcome at any age. Whether the fear is learned from other family members or a past experience, you can be assured that our team at Elevate Dental Hawthorne and Melbourne have the tools and skills to help you relax and maybe even overcome your fears.
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How We Help Anxious Patients

Anxious Patient Listen Melbourne Elevate Dental
We understand that dental anxiety is a common issue and we are prepared to help in any way we can. Our priority is your comfort and oral health, which is why we have created a safe and comfortable space for all of our patients. When you arrive, you will be immersed in a calm and quiet atmosphere. If you like, we will provide noise-cancelling headphones so you can listen to soothing music or distract yourself with a movie.

If you are a very anxious patient, let us know and we can work together to enhance your comfort. We offer sleep dentistry with happy gas that not only calms patients, but makes them feel happy and provides extra pain relief. Our compassionate and knowledgeable staff will work together to ensure your visit is as stress-free as possible. The following are methods that help us accomplish this:

We Listen to our patients

We know that each patient has unique needs, and we feel it is our duty to learn what your fears are, and find a solution to fit. Together, we will find an approach that helps you feel calmer, so you can better relax during your dental visit.

We never judge our patients

No matter what. Many people avoid going to the dentist because they haven’t been for a long time. Some neglect daily oral hygiene, while others simply do not want a stranger poking around in their mouth. No matter what the issue is, you can be assured we have seen many reasons and each is personal and real to the patient. Therefore, we prefer to incorporate compassion with our experience to help you feel more relaxed.

Medications

Are often used to ease anxiety and help patients relax. Some patients are afraid to ask. However, we understand they can help. If you feel you may need medications to help you get through a dental treatment, inform your dentist during the dental examination. A prescription may be provided for you to use before your dental treatment, so you can take it to prepare for the day of your appointment.

Happy gas

Is what we use for sleep dentistry. The technical name for this gas is nitrous oxide, and it is a simple solution to help calm extremely anxious patients as it also works as an analgesic to further block pain signals in the brain. This technique pairs well with listening to music through headphones and allows the dentist to work efficiently while relaxing.

Preparing for the Dental Visit for Anxious Patients

 
Anxious patients can do a lot before going to the dentist to begin calming fears and anxieties. Begin by letting us know ahead of time that you experience dental anxiety so we can work together to find a solution. Other things that you can do include:

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Eat lightly and avoid foods with high amounts of sugar or caffeine to lessen nausea or other physical signs of anxiety
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Practice deep breathing techniques each day at home for stress relief, so you can more easily use this technique when you are in the dental chair
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Practice relaxing your body one set of muscles at a time, beginning with your head all the way down to your toes
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Talk to the dentist about prescribing medications to take before an upcoming dental treatment
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Incorporate regular annual or semi-annual dental visit into your schedule to keep any dental problems in check
We see patients every day who have some type of fear of the dentist, so you are not alone. Anxious patients can begin alleviating their stress by informing us about their concerns, so we can work together and find a solution.
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Some of Our Patients' Results

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Call Today

 
If you experience dental anxiety and want help, call us today and schedule a dental visit with us. Let the team know right away that you are an anxious patient, and we will go at your pace with any treatments, answer your questions, and create a treatment plan that will allow you to get your oral health on track with less fear and more confidence.

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Call Today

If you experience dental anxiety and want help, call us today and schedule a dental visit with us. Let the team know right away that you are an anxious patient, and we will go at your pace with any treatments, answer your questions, and create a treatment plan that will allow you to get your oral health on track with less fear and more confidence.

book now
Nick B

Dr Barnes has been my dentist for decades and he makes my least favorite place to go an experience that I usually enjoy. He’s gentle and highly professional which always leaves me very satisfied. Staff always greet me with a huge smile which adds to the positive experience. I clearly highly recommend Swinburne Dental and I don’t plan to ever go anywhere else.

Nick B

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