Dental anxiety is a real phenomenon that one in every three people suffers from. It’s not only hard for patients to deal with and conquer, but it is also challenging for the dentist and his or her staff. Dentists are trained for controlling their own anxiousness as well as handling patient anxiety. Learning how to handle these fears can make an appointment safer and less troublesome. Here are some ways in which dentists handle patient anxiety known as either dental phobia or dental anxiety.
Dentists are well aware that some patients avoid or cancel appointments because of fear. They design their offices to be more inviting and less fearful. A lot of offices have special rooms designed for children and adults. They tend to make the children’s room more fun with bright colors or cartoon characters apparent throughout the room. They want to make trips to the dentist a fun experience. They encourage good dental hygiene and give the patient a fun new toothbrush with every visit. Controlling the environment and creating a safe space is another way of handling patient anxiety.
For adults, dentists offer a more relaxed room for visits. Some will have televisions readily available with a variety of channels offered so that any patient walking in can watch programs they like. It is also common practice for dentists to have headsets with music channels available. They know that having the patient listen to music can calm their fears and lessen dental phobia. The staff can offer advice for the patient to think about their plans for the day or think of another distracting topic.
It is imperative to allow open communication for the patient to discuss their feelings. Some dentists schedule appointments without any procedures conducted so they can establish a patient dentist relationship. Other times, for patients with severe anxiety, they will do one procedure per appointment. For example, one appointment may only be for X-Rays and another appointment will only be for teeth cleaning. Dentists can explain procedures before they are scheduled so the expectations from their work and the tools, such as dental laser or bleaching tools, they use will be fully explained and known in advance.
For patients with severe anxiety, the dentist will have to use some type of sedation upon approval from the patient. They are highly skilled and qualified in administering different types of sedatives. For patients who have severe dental phobia, it is in the best interest for the dentist to use sedation techniques because it can be harmful to work on a patient that can’t control how they react to fear. The staff has to create a safe environment for themselves and their patients. If their patients are still uncomfortable with sedation, they may need to offer general anesthesia at their office. They need to be qualified to use it or have someone on staff with credentials for administering it.
Dentists who know how to handle patient anxiety are ahead of the game. It is better for their practice because it ensures a safe environment for working and treating patients.
About the Author: Bob Cobley is the President of Spectrum Lasers Inc. Spectrum manufactures and has marketed dental laser internationally since 1998. Approx 2000 GPs and 1200 orthodontists have purchased laser periodontal from him. For more information visit http://www.spectralasedental.com.
Tags: anxiety, dental anxiety, dental laser, dental phobia, dentists, patient anxiety
It’s important to make patients feel comfortable during their visit; this makes them feel that at that moment, they are your top priority and that you are there to take care of them.