Answered: What is the dentist’s approach to pain management and anxiety

If you avoid visiting the dentist, you run the risk of small issues becoming much bigger issues. You might also run the risk of developing painful dental conditions.

It’s far better to understand how your dentist can help you to overcome your anxiety around visiting the dentist. And often the best way to do this is to better understand how pain management at the dentist works. When you understand how your dentist will control your pain, you can better prepare and know how to ask for reassurance when you’re in the dentist’s chair.

In this guide, we’re exploring some of the ways your dentist can help you to manage your dental anxiety, and what steps they will take to minimise pain during your appointment.

What causes dental anxiety?

There are lots of different reasons you might suffer from dental anxiety. Perhaps the most common reason is that you have had a bad experience at the dentist in the past. Perhaps you had a painful procedure and this memory has developed into a fear of the dentist.

Other people fear the loss of control and don’t like feeling that they are no longer in charge of the situation. Or you might be afraid of something more specific, such as needles.

Once you have got to the bottom of your dental anxiety, you can then work with your dentist to address this and stop it from becoming an issue in the future.

If you’re struggling with dental anxiety and this is getting in the way of treatment, it’s vital to speak to your dentist. We can’t do anything unless we know about it, and it could jeopardise your relationship with your dentist if you regularly miss appointments due to a phobia that we know nothing about.

What is the best way to tackle dental anxiety?

The best way to tackle a dental phobia is to first understand the cause. Once you know what is causing your fear, you can then take steps to overcome it. For example, if you are fearful of the dentist because of a past bad experience, your dentist can talk you through your treatment and explain why this won’t happen again.

Also remember that dental anaesthetic has come a long way and is more effective than ever before. It’s also perfectly acceptable to ask your dentist to stop treatment and use more anaesthetic if you are experiencing any pain. This is something that many people are afraid to do, but it’s helpful if you give your dentist feedback.

Keeping the patient comfortable is not just about minimising your pain. A comfortable patient is also more relaxed, and these patients are easier to work with than a patient who is anxious and in pain.

How can your dentist manage pain during your treatment?

The first thing to remember is that there is a difference between pressure and pain. After your dentist has numbed your teeth, you won’t be able to feel any pain from the instruments. They will check this before they get started to make sure you are completely numb.

Even if you are numb, you may still experience pressure and other strange sensations. This won’t be the same as pain, but it can feel unusual. If you’re nervous about your trip to the dentist being painful, any sensation might fill you with fear. It is therefore important to learn the difference between pressure and pain so that your dentist can act accordingly.

You can also let your dentist know if you are experiencing any discomfort. Simply raise your hand to let your dentist know you would like to stop. You can then let them know if the local anaesthetic is too light, or if you think it is wearing off too quickly. They can top up the anesthetic to ensure you don’t experience any pain.

After your treatment, it’s a good idea to start using over the counter pain medication before your local anaesthetic wears off. This will help to bridge the gap and ensure you don’t wait until the pain begins before you address it.

Help overcoming a fear of pain

If you are afraid of pain at the dentist and you have to undergo a long procedure, you might consider dental sedation. This kind of mild sedative will help you to relax and will make the procedure seem to fly by much more quickly.

You will still be awake, and you will be able to respond to questions from your dentist, but you’ll be in a twilight state. Another benefit of dental sedation is that you won’t remember the procedure, which can help to stop your phobia from getting any worse.