Dental anxiety affects up to 31% of the global population. For many patients, fear of the dentist can be a major barrier to receiving regular and timely dental care. Yet maintaining a healthy smile is integral to their overall health and wellness. If their teeth are not properly cared for, patients can also miss out on many of life’s great experiences, from eating their favourite foods to enjoying an active social life to advancing along a career path and more. Helping patients address and overcome dental anxiety can have lasting—even life-changing—benefits.
Patients with dental anxiety experience varying degrees of fear, anxiousness, and stress associated with visits to the dentist. While dental anxiety is quite common, dental phobia, also known as odontophobia, is less common and more severe.
In this article, we will discuss ways to help patients feel calm and comfortable in your office to receive the dental care they need.
Here are some methods you and your team can employ to help alleviate your patients’ dental anxiety.
Patients should be greeted by friendly and helpful staff in a space that is clean, welcoming, and relaxing. Waiting areas should have some home comforts, like soft seating, a television, some magazines, and even a water dispenser and complimentary coffee and tea. For treatment rooms, create a soothing atmosphere by playing soft music and providing dark glasses to block out bright overhead lights.
Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises or distractions like counting backward can help calm patients. Offer items like a comforting pillow to hold onto or a stress ball to squeeze. Additionally, anxious patients should be encouraged to bring a calming friend or family member for support.
Take the time to discuss the procedure with patients—before you begin and as you are working—including addressing any discomfort and unfamiliar sounds, tastes, sights, and smells they may experience. This method will remove any unwelcome surprises and help patients feel in control. Continue to check in with patients and answer any questions to make them feel at ease and informed.
Fear of the dentist is often related to fear of pain. There are many ways to prevent or control dental pain. A numbing agent, such as a topical anesthetic gel or spray, can make injections pain-free. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) technology can eliminate the need for local anesthetic injections. A mild sedative, such as nitrous oxide, can help reduce pain and anxiety, and for extensive dental procedures or extremely anxious patients, intravenous sedation can be an option.
Agree on a stop signal, such as having patients raise their right index finger when they need you to pause treatment. Provide breaks, where possible, if patients show signs of stress or discomfort. Such breaks will also enable patients to slightly adjust their positioning for higher comfort and give their head, neck, jaw, and tongue muscles a brief respite.
Help patients understand that preventive dental care—including brushing their teeth twice a day, flossing daily, and getting regular checkups and cleanings—can greatly reduce time spent at the dentist. Plus, by taking regular care of their teeth, they will be less likely to need potentially painful procedures, like deep cleanings and restorations, which can trigger their anxiety.
Dental anxiety management is an issue that all practitioners encounter. Calm, comfortable patients can make dental visits more enjoyable for all involved. They will be more likely to make (and keep) their preventive care appointments and spend less time in the chair. Their overall anxiety will be reduced, and their satisfaction will increase, making visiting your office an occasion to smile.