Do you find visiting the dentist terrifying? Despite being more prevalent, dental anxiety is easily manageable. 

Your oral health will be negatively impacted if you cannot overcome your dental phobia. So throw your fear out by knowing what dental anxiety is and including its symptoms, reasons for existing, and some tactics and strategies for overcoming it in this blog post. 

Read on to overcome your phobia!

Dental anxiety: What is it?

Dental anxiety is the anxiety, dread, or tension related to a dental environment. 

Odontophobia, often known as dental phobia, is a relatively frequent cause of people skipping their scheduled exams for oral health. Some individuals are genuinely terrified to visit the dentist.

Signs and symptoms of dental anxiety

Here are some symptoms that indicate you have dental anxiety. 

• Increase in heartbeat rate
• Using humor or aggression to disguise nervousness
• Low blood pressure
• Sweating

Causes of dental anxiety

•  Fear of pain
•  Poor experience 
•  Embarrassment in allowing others to touch your mouth
•  Fear of needles and drill sound
•  A poor impression of dentists
•  Panic due to claustrophobia 

Tips and tricks to overcome dental anxiety

We know that there will always be remedies if there is an issue. Here are some tips and tricks for a calm and relaxed dental checkup.

Pick the ideal dentist for yourself.

First and foremost, you must select a reputable dentist who specializes in helping those who have anxiety and fear of the dentist. Additionally, pick a dentist who treats you well and who gets positive feedback from their present patients.

Share your anxiety.

Sharing your feelings can have a significant impact on how things turn out. Discussing your fears with your dentist may help you overcome them and maintain your comfort. There are others you can discuss your anxiety with besides your dentist. You can seek counseling or talk to your friends and family about your anxiety.

Deviation may be advantageous.

If there is a television in the clinic, you can watch films, videos, and other media there. If not, you can use your tablet or mobile device. Get relaxed by endeavoring deviation strategies like hearing your favorite playlists, audio files, and podcasts. Even engaging in conversions helps you distract from dental fear.

Engage in deep breathing exercises.

Breathing is the key to remaining calm and relaxing in some situations. Breathing can bring physiological changes to our body, like reducing the heart’s pulse rate and lowering blood pressure. Additionally, the blood stress level can also be lowered.

CBT (Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy).

CBT is a form of psychological treatment. It will help people manage mental health conditions like stress, depression, phobias, and anxiety. This treatment approach helps you recognize negative thoughts and find ways to replace them with positive ones. So, this therapy can be used to treat dental phobia and its associated conditions.

Request for sedative solutions.

Sedatives are one of the options. Ask your dentist about sedatives using relaxation techniques if you cannot reduce your anxiety. During dental procedures, sedation is used to keep you comfortable. Nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, and intravenous (IV) sedation are available.

Bring a support person along.

A friend can sometimes be all you need to grasp your hand and reassure you that everything will be good. Ask a friend or member of your family to accompany you if you’re nervous about receiving therapy. A friend may sit by your side in the room during the procedure.

Skip the caffeine.

Before a dentist appointment, pay attention to your food. It’s common knowledge that foods heavy in sugar and caffeine can cause jitters, so it’s best to avoid them before your visit. Instead, opt for protein-rich foods, as they have a soothing influence.

Establish non-frantic times for your appointments.

Choose a time for your appointment that is convenient for you. Avoid rushing to your appointment on time because doing so will make you uptight and anxious. You might find it beneficial to lessen your worry when fewer patients are scheduled.

Take breaks.

You can relax for a while between dental procedures by taking pauses. You can utilize a few signs to let your dentists know you need a rest. As a result of your mind and body relaxing when needed, this will lower your anxiety level.

Bottom Line

It’s not difficult to overcome your dentophobia. Your dental anxiety should never take you away from your path toward maintaining excellent oral hygiene. It’s essential to be open about your anxiety, consult a dentist, and share your problems. Follow these tips to eliminate anxiety and maintain excellent oral hygiene through regular dental checkups. 

Are your teeth chipped, stained, worn down, gapped, or misaligned? Veneers are a great option to overcome these problems. Veneers are generally thin shells made up of composite raisin or porcelain bonded to the front surface of the teeth.

The biggest advantage of veneers is, it looks natural and strong when compared to other solutions like dentures. Many celebrities and models have achieved their aesthetics smile through veneers. Although they are a bit costly, they are worth money if you know how to take care of it. When cared properly, they can be used for life long too.

 Meanwhile, taking care of your veneers doesn’t need special care. Here are some tips to care and keep the veneers clean.

Follow good oral hygiene

If you already following proper oral hygiene, you don’t need to worry about caring for your veneers. For others maintaining good oral hygiene is a must.

Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing is the primary thing to maintain maximum oral health. Poor dental hygiene can result in gum diseases, and cause receding in the gum. Gum receding results in exposure of borders of veneers.

Apart from that, choosing the right toothpaste is important. Many kinds of toothpaste contain ingredients that are very abrasive for your teeth and veneers, and they stain your veneers and teeth too. Even though veneers can withstand pressure when you brush, it is always recommended to choose a soft-bristled toothbrush. After a meal, rinse your mouth once or twice a day using an antiseptic mouthwash.

In addition, visiting your dentist twice a year is recommended. So that your dentist will thoroughly examine your teeth during this time and spot the issues found in the veneers.

Wear a nightguard

Well, this is not for all! If you have a teeth-grinding (Bruxism) problem while sleeping, it is not good for veneers because it creates a lot of pressure on them. On the other hand, it is bad for your jaw joints and teeth too.

Tell about your problem to your dentist as soon as possible, and he can help you with a night guard, often said to be known as an occlusal guard. This is a great device that protects both your natural teeth and veneers.

Do not bite hard objects

Be gentle on chewing, we do not just use our teeth for eating, but also as a tool to cut food packets, opening bottles, etc., some peoples have the habit of chewing hard materials like nails, pens, etc., These are the things that have to be avoided. Besides, excessive biting of ice and chewing bones may result in a break and chip of veneers.

Watch what you eat

You should also be careful about what you eat. Eating raw apples, raw carrots, bone meat, and hard chips also cause damage to your veneers. You should reduce sugar and acid in your diet to prevent decay. Be limit on acidic foods as they wear down your enamel and be sure you are eating natural foods. Foods with added colors stain your veneers easily.

Avoid staining agents

Always beware of staining agents. Stain causing beverages and foods like red wine, coffee, tea, soy sauce, dark sodas, berries, etc., should be minimized. Another main stain-causing agent is a cigarette. You should stop smoking to prevent staining. Leaving the smoking habit is not only good for your dental health but also it is good for your general health.

Nothing will last forever, the same applies to your veneers too. They have to be replaced after some period. Visit your dentist regularly and examine your teeth. He/she will give the best advice about the replacement time of veneers. To enlarge the benefits that the veneers offer, you should maintain it properly by following these methods.

Bad breath or Halitosis is a common dental problem similar to periodontal issues and tooth decay. People with this disorder hate to open their mouths and speak freely because of the nasty smell in their mouth. This problem affects their daily life as nobody likes to talk with them or stand near them due to the unpleasant odor.

The food particles stuck on our mouth is breakdown with the help of bacteria. This bacteria release some compounds with a bad smell that is responsible for the bad breath.

Bad breath occurs not only due to these bacteria but also because of other health issues. However, if you suffer from bad breath, the first step you have to take is a dental examination. There are some main reasons for bad breath, they are

• Poor oral hygiene
• Some drugs and medications
• Smoking
• Dry mouth
• Other health issues

Based on these reasons bad breath can occur in different ways. They are

Diabetes breath

One diabetic patient’s human body produces less insulin. Therefore his/her body requires to burn higher fat. Such a process of burning fat delivers a chemical called “ketone” The ketone is another factor behind the mouth’s nasty odor.

Chronic kidney failure is another cause of bad breath in diabetes. It produces fishy or ammonia smell. Also called uremic fetor, the volume of urea in the saliva will be high and its breakdown to ammonia produces the smell.

Liver breath

Liver breath occurs due to liver failure that produces sweet and rotten odor in the mouth.

Drug breath

Consumption of certain drugs and medications dries your mouth by absorbing saliva. Medicine to treat diseases like asthma, obesity, and Parkinson’s disease are strong to produce poor drug breath.

Gut breath

Some stomach acids are produced if our digestive system is disturbed or obstructed. These acids are responsible for bad breath, which falls under the division of gut breath.

Menstrual breath

Women gets easily affected by gum diseases during the menstrual period. During this period the secretion of saliva in their mouth will be less. Due to this their mouth gets dried easily leading to bad breath.

Lung breath

Lung infections are the reason for lung breath. Some of the main lung infections included here are Bronchitis, emphysema, pulmonary abscess, pneumonia, and TB. It is the primary symptom of lung cancer. Other problems like cystic fibrosis and Asthma also produce bad breath.

Tonsil breath

Two tiny pads of glandular tissues located at the edge of our throat are called tonsils. If some food particles get stuck between them, it becomes harder and develops into tonsil stones. These tonsil stones are also a reason for bad smell in the mouth.

Metabolic breath

Consuming foods that have low carbohydrates and fewer nutrients is also one of the reasons for bad breath. In fast foods, there will not be any sufficient nutrients, which makes it difficult to burn fats. To burn more fat, ketone is produced, that is a reason for bad breath.

These are some of the types of bad breath occurs due to various health issues. People who get affected due to halitosis doesn’t know whether the problem occurred due to oral issue or other health issues. However, visit a dentist to know the reason for your bad breath and prevent any disease early.

You won’t believe if I say your tooth enamel is the strongest tissue in our body. They are very stronger than bones and even harder than steel. Enamel is a very hard outer layer of your teeth that protects your teeth from damage or decay.

Even though they are harder, it can be broken and leads to enamel erosion. They lead to various dental problems. Here are some reasons for enamel erosion.

Acidic foods

Do you know acidic foods put your teeth enamel at risk? Yes, fruits like orange, lemon, strawberry, and grapes, etc., are healthy to your body, but they will erode your enamel. This is why they should be eaten along with water to minimize the damage level. These foods are not the only product that harms your teeth, products like pickle, ketchup, coffee, wine, etc., also wear away your enamel and stains your teeth. These foods should not be consumed regularly.

GERD (Gastro-Esophageal reflex disease)

There will be a pipe that connects your mouth with the stomach called Esophagus. When GERD occurs, the stomach acid flows back and reach the mouth. They too wear down your enamel leading to enamel erosion.

Xerostomia

The saliva in your mouth removes food debris and bacteria in your mouth and prevent from decay. They also neutralize the acids in your mouth and protect from enamel damage. When there is a lack of saliva secretion, dryness in the mouth occurs leading to enamel erosion. Several factors like smoking, diabetes, HIV, chemotherapy, etc., are responsible for this dryness in the mouth.

Poor dental habits

Your saliva is responsible for constantly neutralizing the acid in the mouth. But if you eat more acidic foods and fail to brush your teeth twice and floss, your outer layer of the teeth will be weakened over time. You should brush after an hour if you eat something sugary or acidic.

Eating disorder

Some people suffer from fear of getting overweight and avoid eating proper food, and this eating disorder is called anorexia. Due to this, they lack nutrition. This lack of nutrition may lead to enamel erosion. Bulimia is another eating disorder where people eat more amount of food in a small amount of time. Then they attempt to get rid of the consumed food out by vomiting to lose their weight. When they do this often, the acidity in vomit damages your tooth enamel and erode it.

Bruxism

Bruxism or teeth grinding is another problem which occurs mainly due to anxiety or stress. Occasional teeth grinding is normal, and it won’t make any problem. Regular teeth grinding should be noticeable and must be treated. When they left untreated, the enamel will be removed slowly, leading to enamel wear, and a chip, or crack in the tooth.

Health disorders

Some health disorders are also associated with these enamel erosion.

There are some symptoms that help you know your enamel is eroding:

1) Sensitivity in tooth

2) Pain and discomfort

3) Tooth discoloration (yellowish teeth)

4) A chip or crack in the tooth

5) Translucent or shiny teeth

If you notice these symptoms, consult a dentist to get the problem fixed earlier. There are some preventive measures also to prevent enamel erosion. They are:

1) Avoiding or minimizing certain foods from your diet.

2) Following proper dental hygiene routine.

3) Wearing a mouthguard if you have bruxism.

4) Dental bonding treatment.

5) Crowns or veneers treatment.

Follow these preventive measures to avoid various teeth problems in the future. If you found any of the symptoms matching you, consult a dentist immediately.