Dental anxiety and nervousness affect dental procedures due to panic and disturbance; dental professionals use different techniques for a stress-free and positive patient experience. Professional dentist in London controls patient anxiety with effective communication, different distractive, behaviour and soothing techniques and a calm and relaxing dental office environment, to keep patients relaxed for efficient and effective dental treatment.
Pre-treatment Visit
Pre-treatment visits play an important role in preparing patients for dental procedures, effective communication develops a relationship of trust between patients and dentist that improves patient support during the treatment.
Pre-appointment Consultation
Consultation visits before dental treatment are crucial for reducing patient anxiety. Patients can explain their fears and treatment expectations to expert dentists in London in a calm and relaxing environment.
Short and Non-treatment Visits
Initial dental visits should be scheduled with short and less invasive treatments like clinical check-ups, scaling and Fluoride treatment applications so patients become comfortable with dental instruments and meet the dental staff.
Patient Dental Education
Before starting a dental procedure, dentists should properly educate patients about dental treatment, explain in easy language with the help of attractive educational materials like models, and make sure that patients are aware of treatment procedures and mentally prepared to avoid anxiety and panic situations during treatment.
Calm and Comfortable Dental Office Environment
The dental office environment plays an important role in developing a positive dental experience, the interior design of the dental office, and welcoming and friendly dental staff can control patient anxiety and nervousness in first dental visits.
Soothing Office Decor
Relaxing and calm office with light colours interior design, comfortable furnishing separate treatment room to avoid dental instruments noise, helping in creating a better impression on patient and resolve all stress and fear about treatment.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy controls patient stress, refreshing and soothing lavender scent controls patient’s stress and decreases cortisol hormone levels in the human body that cause stress and anxiety.
Comfortable Waiting Area
The waiting area in the dental office should be equipped with comfortable chairs, screens or magazines, and engaging activities like squeezing balls to release stress and tension during wait time in the dental offices.
Effective Communication Techniques
Communication is the key to success, competent and experienced dentists calm patients and control their anxiety with effective communication. Dentists use different techniques for better communication with patients such as:
Patient Control Treatment
In this technique dentist assures the patient that the treatment is under the patient’s control when he wants to stop the treatment due to pain or needs a break, the dentist stops the treatment on the patient’s stopping signal such as by raising his hands, this technique reduces patient stress.
Tell-show-do Technique
In this technique dentist first explains the treatment to the patient then the dentist uses instructions and explains how it works in the oral cavity in the show step then they perform treatment in the do step, this technique relaxes the patient and controls anxiety during treatment.
Open Discussion
Dentists encourage patients to discuss their dental treatment fear in a comfortable discussion so dentists take measures to control anxiety or fear, which develops patient trust about treatment safety.
Distraction Technique During Treatment
During dental treatment, patients commonly get anxious with dental instruments noise, dental professionals use different distraction techniques to deviate patient’s attention during dental treatment to control anxiety and fear.
Calm Music
In the treatment room, dental staff provides headphones to the patient to enjoy soothing and relaxing light music during dental procedures it controls cortisol levels and decreases anxiety and stress.
Television
A screen or television is an effective way to divert patient attention during treatment, in the dental treatment room, a screen is mounted on the wall or ceiling for patient distraction during treatment.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is the latest and most entertaining way of distraction during dental treatment, headset is provided to patients for relaxing and stress-free treatment.
Behaviour Technique
Patient trust and assurance are very important during dental treatment, panic, anxiety and fearful thoughts during dental treatment can cause delay and disturbance during dental procedures in the worst case can harm patients with dental emergencies like airway obstruction and syncope. Dental professionals and staff help patients control anxiety with different behavioural techniques.
Relaxing Exercise
Dental staff guides patients to perform Stress relief exercises such as deep breathing, and meditation before dental visits that control anxiety by increasing blood oxygen levels and calming the patient’s body and mind.
Congenital Behaviour Therapy
In severe anxiety conditions, dental professionals start congenital behaviour therapy before starting dental treatment in which patients perform different exercises to control their negative thoughts and overthinking about dental treatment, it also improves patient’s mental health.
Professionals Support
Dentists take psychiatrist support in uncontrolled conditions; psychiatrists prepare patients with exercise and medication to keep them calm and relaxed during dental treatment.
Sedation Techniques
The sedation technique is an effective and common way of controlling anxiety in dental practice, in this technique, dentists use anxiolytic medication to control and calm the patient during dental treatment.
Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous oxide or laughing glass is the safest and fastest way of sedation, in this technique nitrogen oxide along with oxygen is used with the help of a nasal mask, it controls anxiety but not pain so local anaesthesia is required with nitrogen oxide.
Oral Sedation
In oral sedation, the dentist prescribes anxiolytic medication to control anxiety, the patient takes medication before dental visits, and it remains calm and relaxes the patient during treatment.
IV Sedation
In this technique, the dentist, injects sedative medication through an intravenous route, in severe anxiety or long-duration treatment, in IV sedation techniques the patient is completely awake and calm during dental treatment. In general anaesthesia the patient is in deep relaxation and asleep during the procedure, general anaesthesia is used in complex dental surgery.
Conclusion
Dental anxiety and fear develop a negative impact on the dental health of the patient. Dental professionals use different techniques to control anxiety such as effective communication, behavioural, and sedation techniques to overcome patient fear and perform treatment in a stress-free and relaxing environment.
