Time to get real. We know people don’t excitedly anticipate their dental appointments or skip merrily to their regular checkups. It’s just like any other medical appointment. You go out a sense of obligation to your health and wellbeing.
For some people, though, that sense of personal obligation takes a backseat because they’re too filled with fear and anxiety to follow through with their dental appointments. If thinking about your upcoming checkup fills you with enough dread that you ultimately talk yourself out of going, then you have dental anxiety.
Millions of Americans feel exactly the way you do. But there is a way to get beyond your fears of the dentist. It’s something you need to do for your oral and overall health, because avoiding the dental care you need will only make small problems turn into bigger ones down the road.
Dr. Slootsky and Dr. Baez at Restorative & Implant Dentistry understand how you feel and are committed to helping you get past it for the sake of your healthy teeth and gums. That’s why they work to provide a worry-free experience for all patients in their Pompano Beach dental office.
But first, it’s helpful to understand where your anxiety is coming from.

What’s Causing Your Dental Anxiety?

When we talk about dental anxiety, we’re not really talking about phobia. Those are rooted in irrational fears, whereas being nervous about going to the dentist is a perfectly rational, understandable thing.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common causes for dental anxiety, and maybe you’ll understand what we mean:
Bad Memories?
A lot of things are scary when you’re a kid. You see toddlers going in for their first haircut, screaming and crying because they don’t understand what’s going on. Unfamiliar places, faces, and activities can be uncomfortable, especially when it’s in a doctor’s office!
Now take that and couple it with bad memories that are tied to that first dentist appointment or one that happened at some point in your childhood. If you had a negative experience because of pain or a dental office that wasn’t exactly kid-friendly, it makes perfect sense why those memories would surface well into adulthood and keep you from going to the dentist! It’s not irrational to fear the dentist because of past trauma.
Horror Stories?
Firsthand experience can be pretty powerful, but so can listening to a friend or family member talk about their traumatic experiences at the dentist. There’s a reason that popular stories throughout history are still read and enjoyed today. It’s because stories are powerful! And they stay with you long after you’ve heard them. If the stories you’ve heard about the dentist are horrifying, then it’s natural to feel a sense of dread when it’s your own appointment looming.
A Lack Of Control?
Sometimes, dental anxiety can be triggered by a sense of not being in control of the situation when you’re at a dental appointment. When you’re at home or at work, you usually have a lot of control over decisions that affect what you do from one minute to the next.
But at the dentist’s office, where you’re not in charge, you don’t know what’s going to happen next, and you hear unpleasant sounds from tools you can’t see, it’s understandable that you’d feel out of control and anxious.

Ease Dental Anxiety With Comfort And Sedation

With all that said, although your fears may be reasonable, you can move beyond them at Restorative & Implant Dentistry. Our warm, caring team will do all we can to make sure you have a comfortable, stress-free experience in our Pompano Beach dental office.
One of the ways we can do that is through our comfort options. You can relax in the dentist’s chair with a warm blanket, pillow, and headphones for calming music. You also aren’t going to be rushed through your appointment. We’ll give you the time and attention you deserve, and you’ll know what’s happening all along the way in a pace that makes you more comfortable.
For patients who need more help feeling at ease, we offer oral sedation. By taking sedation medication in pill form before your procedure, you’ll be awake but completely relaxed so you can get the dental care you need without worry or anxiety.
You can put dental anxiety behind you, and we can help you! Call our Pompano Beach dental office today at 954-590-0538 or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment.