Many people struggle with anxiety or fear around dentistry. As someone who personally struggles with anxiety, I understand that it’s not something that is easy to overcome.  Even coming in to a dental clinic can be difficult for some people.

This anxiety can come from past negative experiences or many other factors. Our overall goal as dental professionals is to help you feel comfortable. Pain is the last thing we want you to experience, especially at our clinic. Local anesthetic or “the needle” is a very common fear in the dental clinic. Children are often afraid of this, but many people don’t realize this is a common fear among adults as well.

First and foremost, your anxiety is not something that you need to hide or just “endure”. Our goal is to give you the best dental experience we can and, when we know you have a fear of dentistry, we can do everything in our power to help you overcome and manage it throughout your dental visit.

One of the ways that dental anxiety can be managed is with N2O, more commonly known as “laughing gas”. The effects of the gas wear off as soon as you stop inhaling it. This is ideal for someone who needs to go back to work or drive after their dental appointment but also needs to deal with their dental anxiety. If this is something that can help, patients are able to request it or further discuss their options with their dentist.

As part of the team here at Braeside Dental Centre, I know we are all passionate about making our patients comfortable. We will always check in with you throughout your appointment to make sure you are comfortable and pain-free. We also have resources such as pillows and blankets that can help with comfort. If you need anything during your dental experience, we will all do our best to accommodate it.

The first and easiest way to start handling your dental anxiety or fears is to talk about it with your dentist, dental assistant or dental hygienist. We all want to know how we can help you have a happy, comfortable experience. We can discuss your options at your next appointment.

By finding ways to handle your dental anxiety, you will be more at ease in a dental office, and this will help maintain a healthy mouth for the rest of your life.

Braeside Dental Centre