Dentists are by nature gentle, caring professionals but regardless of how caring a dentist is many people dread the thoughts of their appointment. If you are one who falls into this category consider yourself to be amongst friends, statistics are available that support the assertion that a full 80 percent of the American public fear the dentist. This is an amazing number but that is not the worst of it, half of these people are so frightened that they deny themselves the dental care they need.
There is really no valid reason for this, there are a number of ways and means that you can employ to overcome this fear and prepare yourself for your appointment with the dentist in Northbrook IL. There are ways that you can purposefully distract yourself from the sights and sounds that most people dread in the dental chair. Here are a few hints and tips that you might want to consider if you are one of the 80 percent.
* There is a natural inclination for people to equate certain sounds with their emotions. There are sounds in a dentist’s office that can easily trigger feelings that are associated with tension, apprehension and nervousness. If you block out these sounds you eliminate the associated emotions, bring your personal music player and headphones with you, you can easily block out these background sounds that are distressing. Dentists are well aware of these fears, many modern dental offices have installed television sets and DVD players in their treatment rooms, this allows the patient to occupy his or her mind with a favorite TV show or movie; the concentration has a tendency to block out the distressing sounds.
* The dentist needs the bright overhead light otherwise he or she could not perform their tasks. These lights leave many patients with the uncomfortable sensation of being under interrogation rather than in their dentist’s office. This is very easy to solve; wear dark glasses. Glasses are not a detriment to the work the dentist is doing. In some instances the dentist will actually ask you to wear protective eye wear because the procedure that is being done is one that casts off considerable debris. Bring your own tinted glasses, they too will protect your eyes from flying debris and you just might find yourself dozing off during treatment.
* In many cases fear is caused by a lack of understanding of what the dentist in Northbrook IL is going to do. There is a simple solution to this, just ask the dentist what to expect. A dentist is well aware of the fact that you cannot converse during most treatments but they are happy to tell you what is happening and what is about to happen. If the procedure is one which keeps the dentist fully occupied, ask the dental assistant to keep you informed.
Once you learn how easy it is to overcome your anxiety, dental appointments will be less of a problem for you in the future.
Dr. Thomas Adams, FICA and his staff are dedicated to giving you the best and the most caring dental care possible. If you are looking for a dentist in Northbrook IL who understands how some people fear treatment, you will be happy your next appointment is with Dr. Adams.
