Although many people may experience a small amount of anxiety about the dentist, some individuals suffer from severe anxiety or even a phobia of the dentist.

Between 9-15% of adults in the United States do not visit the dentist due to their anxiety and fear. Avoiding the dentist is not something that anyone should do. If you do not schedule regular appointments, your chances of health issues, such as tooth decay and gum disease, increase. Unfortunately, even if these health issues do come up, people with dental anxiety may not even get it treated and live with the pain and other problems related to these issues.

If you experience dental anxiety or know someone who does, we would like to share some tips to help you ease the anxiety you may experience at the dentist.

Listen to Music

Listening to music helps your mind stay focused and keeps you from hearing any outside noises that may be occurring in the room.

Concentrate on Breathing

A great way to help ease anxiety is by focusing on your breathing. Like listening to music, when you focus on your breathing you are keeping your mind focused on one thing and not letting your thoughts get the best of you.

Bring a Family Member or Friend

Bringing someone you are close with to your visit may help put you at ease during your cleaning or procedure.

If you have avoided scheduling an appointment with dentist due to fear, feel free to speak with Dr. Faist in Beachwood, OH.