Tips for nervous patients visiting their dentist in Handsworth

For some patients, taking that trip to the dentist can be a nerve-racking experience that they have been dreading all week. That’s why our team have come up with a few pieces of advice for any nervous patients heading out to see their dentist in Handsworth.

Talk to the team before your appointment

Perhaps one of the most important pieces of advice that we can provide you with is to just speak to your dentist in Handsworth ahead of your appointment, to let them know how you are feeling. Having a chat with our team will allow them to come up with a solution that will make the process of any particular treatment you may be worried about a little easier to handle.

It also allows you to create a way of letting your dentist know that you need a break for a while. Or if talking to others is something you are not overly confident about, then you could also come up with a hand signal system to let the team know that you need to pause for a little bit.

At Sohal Dental Practice our team will provide a warm and welcoming environment as they work with you to figure out how we can give you a stress free dental experience.

Use relaxing breathing techniques

Another tip from the team for patients nervous about visiting the practice is to try and use some relaxing breathing techniques to help slow your heart rate down and make you a little calmer during your visit. There are plenty of different methods you can try to relax yourself, but the simple act of slowly breathing in through your nose and back out through your mouth should work just fine.

Doing this for a few minutes before treatment or during a pause in your treatment will allow your body to take in more oxygen, which in turn will reduce your adrenaline levels, lower your heart rate and make you feel less anxious.

Invite a familiar face

Having a familiar face in an otherwise strange environment can be a great way of getting those stress levels down. Although you will need to have a chat with your dentist first to make sure that you can bring someone in during your visit first.

Play music

The sounds of a dentist’s practice, the whirr of drills and the general goings on can be a little overwhelming for anxious patients, so why not block out the din with some of your favourite tracks through small headphones?

Having a familiar beat to focus on while you go through your treatments can be a great way to distract your mind. Although, if you plan on making a playlist we recommend that you try to stick to some down tempo tracks, as anything with a fast beat will just spike your heart rate and make you feel more anxious.

So if you are feeling particularly nervous about your forthcoming visit to the practice,  just try a few of these suggestions to make yourself a little calmer and your appointment with the dentist more enjoyable.