How Art Can Help Ease Dental Anxiety

Dental anxiety is more common than you might realize. In fact, an estimated 73 percent of American adults suffer from some degree of phobia when it comes to visiting their dentist for even routine oral health care. Thankfully, your dentist understands this, and employs a variety of solutions to help make your time in the treatment chair more comfortable. In addition to offering sedation options, here’s how your oral health team uses art to help keep patients feeling calm during their appointments!

How Art Heals

In the average home, artwork can be used to convey a variety of messages, including the personal style of the residents. However, a seemingly simple photo or painting can do so much more than just dress up a barren wall.  When presented in calming colors or capturing a peaceful scene, artwork can help distract, soothe, and relax simply by looking at it. For children, images can be analyzed by a parent in the room, by asking the child to notice certain elements like the colors, shapes, or even types of brush strokes. In fact, even if they can’t answer questions, they can still focus on the piece instead of what their dentist is currently doing to their teeth!

Sedation Options from Your Dentist

In addition to the effort your dentist put into curating the artwork in the office, they may also offer sedation options to help keep you feeling your best during any type of treatment.  Oral conscious sedation is provided in the form of a pill that you can pick up before your appointment and take once you or your child arrives. With this option, you will need a ride home from a trusted friend or family member once your treatment is complete.

Another popular sedation option is nitrous oxide. This sweet-smelling gas is breathed in through a tube that fits comfortably in the nose to create a feeling of calm. Once your treatment has been concluded, you’ll breathe pure oxygen for five minutes until the nitrous oxide completely leaves your system. After that, you should be able to drive yourself home or back to work or school with no lingering side effects.

Other Techniques to Try

While sedation dentistry and intriguing artwork can certainly help make dental treatment more relaxing, if you need a few other suggestions to get through your appointment, here are some helpful tricks to try:

• Wear a scented bracelet or necklace infused with soothing aromatherapy oils like lavender.
• Listen to relaxing music on your headphones or stream a show or movie on your smartphone or tablet.
• Carry a stress ball or fidget toy to manipulate when stressed.
• Bring a blanket or warm hoodie to snuggle in.
• Invite a friend or family member to sit in the room with you for reassurance.

If you have severe dental anxiety, don’t be afraid to tell your dentist in advance. This way, he can work with you to find methods to keep you feeling your best during treatment. For options like oral conscious sedation, you’ll need to pick up your sedative before your dental appointment, so this will need to be prescribed in advance.

Remember, it’s not uncommon to be afraid to go to the dentist, and it’s certainly nothing to be embarrassed about. So, the next time you visit, be sure to be up front about your fears, and when you get settled in the dental chair, take a moment to focus on the artwork around you instead of your anxieties!

About Our Practice

At Real Dental, we’re here to protect your smile, but we also know that can’t happen if you’re too afraid to sit down in the dental chair. That’s why we’re so pleased to offer sedation dentistry for both children and adults. Whether you need a routine exam, have a dental emergency, or you’re visiting us for a cosmetic upgrade, nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation can help make your appointment a lot easier and less stressful. To learn more about your options, speak to our friendly front office team when you book your appointment.  We can be reached at 817-406-7239.