Dental anxiety is a terrible burden to bear. It will ruin your healthy smile if you don’t take steps to get past it. You don’t have to do it alone, though. Let Dr. Anderkvist help you. With the help of his staff at his Los Angeles, CA office, you can get past your dental fear.
Dental Fear Is Real
Everyone seems to have some level of fear of the dentist. Whether it is that you don’t like having people in your mouth or you worry about getting scolded for not keeping up a proper dental hygiene routine, you may feel a little uneasy about going to the dentist’s office. If you are one of these people, you have a mild dental fear, but not to the level that will cause your dental health any harm. When we talk about dental fear, we are talking about people who have a true dread of going to see a dental professional. This type of fear will make a person ignore symptoms, live in pain, and even let their teeth suffer before stepping foot in the door of a dental office. Sounds extreme, doesn’t it?
Well, according to the latest data, there are between 24 and 35 million people in the United States who profess to suffering from crippling dental fear. To put this in better perspective, if you added the populations of the 10 largest U.S. cities, you would come up with a number that just barely reaches the low end of that estimate. That is an enormous number of people living in fear and letting their mouths pay the price for that fear.
Another interesting stat is that of the millions of people living in fear of getting dental care, two out of three say that their fear comes from a painful experience at the dental office. The single biggest reason people fear dental care is actually one part of dental care that we can control: through listening to how our patients feel, and by administering the correct amount of anesthetic or sedation if they begin to feel something they shouldn’t.
Dental Fear Is Beatable
Even with dental anxiety being such an issue, there is hope. You can beat this type of fear, and we can help. Here are few tips to help you get past your dental anxiety.
Step #1 – The first step is to figure out exactly what caused your dental fear. For many people, it is a painful experience at the dental office. Maybe the dentist started to work before the numbing agent kicked in or didn’t give you enough to get rid of the pain. We have even heard of dentists telling patients that they could not be feeling any pain. Once you have narrowed down where your fear began, you are ready to move on to the next step.
Step #2 – This is where you talk about what caused your fear. Make sure that the person you choose has a healthy outlook on dentistry. The last thing you want is to talk to someone who suffers from dental fear as well. It won’t work out well. The best person to talk to is Dr. Anderkvist. He can listen to your story and be able to tell you where your treatment may have gone wrong. You may find that the procedure that caused your pain has changed or is no longer used at our office. He will tell you how your procedure will be different as a patient of Westwood Dental Smiles.
Step #3 – The final step is to buck up and schedule your appointment. There is a saying that if you get thrown off the horse, you need to get back on. Well, here is your chance to get back on the horse and ride to a place of better oral health and a smile you can be proud of.
Sedation Options Can Help
Some people need a little help to get past their fear when they are in the office. Dental sedation can calm your nerves and help you get through your dental appointment.
Nitrous – Otherwise known as laughing gas, nitrous will take the edge off, and it will wear off quickly following your treatment.
Oral – This a more moderate sedation, and will last for some time past your appointment. You will need to have someone drive you home if you choose this level.
IV – With IV sedation, we are able to adjust the level of sedation during your procedure. This can range from mild to heavy sedation, and it will require you to have a ride home.
Ready to say goodbye to your fear and hello to a beautiful smile? Call us today at 310-208-4084 to schedule your appointment.
