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Anxiety is one of the main reasons many patients neglect their oral hygiene. It affects a large portion of dental patients, as it has been found that approximately 10% experience intense anxiety and 30% moderate anxiety. In other words, if the idea of a filling or even a cleaning scares you, know that you are not alone.

Phobic patients usually exhibit the following:

• Constantly postponing their dental appointments (from simple routine check-ups to persistent pain or other urgent dental issues).

• Anxiety affecting their sleep or even insomnia the night before the scheduled dental appointment.

• Severe nervousness that can lead to a panic attack in the dental waiting room.

• Intense anxiety at the thought of the dentist placing tools in their mouth, fear of not being able to breathe, choking, or swallowing an instrument.

• Fear of experiencing severe pain during treatment.

Anxiety thus distances patients from dental examinations or treatments, and the result is that minor initial problems in the oral cavity worsen and the symptoms become even more troublesome. Then treatment becomes more complex, time-consuming, and expensive. All these factors further discourage patients from making dental appointments, creating a vicious cycle.

Seek a solution to your problem! In our clinic, we understand the anxiety that the dental chair can cause and strive to reduce and manage it. Valuable tools in this effort are our many years of experience with such patients and some techniques we use.

We ask to be informed during our first meeting about your feelings regarding dental treatment. Our advice is to even inform us by phone about any fear you might have so that we can take appropriate measures. A first, calm appointment might be necessary during a quiet time in our schedule so that you can become familiar with the space and discuss with the dentist.

We have made sure the clinic environment is friendly and induces calmness and optimism, both through colors and scents. Bright colors, simple lines, and the absence of the old traditional dental clinic smells.

In some cases, we suggest listening to music of your choice during treatment, using headphones connected to your phone or mp3 player.

We tailor the treatment plan to your needs. Possibly shorter appointments, conveniently scheduled so as not to be stressful within your busy schedule. Use of local anesthesia – thus reducing pain – even for simpler dental procedures.

If all these fail, we may prescribe a sedative pill tailored to your level of anxiety before the treatment. Patients unable to undergo treatment with the above methods can be referred for sedation or general anesthesia.

Finally, it is very important to choose a dentist whom you will know and trust. You should be aware of the methods they use, and they should know your fears and how to manage them. Constantly changing dentists does not help but intensifies the problem for anxious patients.