I'm anxious about going to the dentist.
What can I do right now?
Below is some advice to help you minimize the number of times you need to visit the dentist and help on how to reduce your fear of the dentist. There is more help on how to reduce your anxiety inside the Confidents app. If you have any pain in your mouth or teeth, let’s face it you need to do something sooner rather than later. The problem is unlikely to get better. Perhaps you are taking painkillers, or antibiotics that help. Here’s a few suggestions
Be careful with those painkillers. Pain is horrible and tooth pain really terrible. Most of us would do anything to get rid of it. But be careful with how many painkillers that you take – particularly those that contain paracetamol. Read the instructions on the back of the packet carefully. If you are over 16 years of age, think about combining two medicines – ibuprofen and paracetamol. Your local pharmacist can give you advice, or see: https://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/857.aspx
Go to the dentist. We know it is the last thing you want to do but we have some top tips to make it slightly more bearable:
Look after your teeth. Here’s some things that you can do to look after your teeth. That way we can hopefully minimise the amount of dental work that you need.
Keep going to the dentist. Again we know that this is the last thing that you want to do ! But now that you have started to build a relationship with a dentist, it is a great time to continue. Anxiety feeds on avoidance, the longer you leave it to go back, the more difficult it will be to return. Also once you are not in pain anymore, you can start thinking about working with your dentist to get that lovely smile you have possibly been dreaming about.
Remember, these are your teeth and you are in control. Your visits to the dentist will be challenging, but they should never be overwhelming, go at a pace which you can cope with.
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