Some people find visits to the dental office a little un-nerving.  There are many ways to help ease your fears when coming in for dental treatment.  You may feel embarrassed about discussing your fears.  Remember that you are not alone.  Once Dr. Tillman and his staff are aware of your issues, they will be better equipped to help ease your mind.   We advise apprehensive patients to make their appointments in the mornings.

Talking with Dr. Tillman is the key to beating dental stress.  Modern dentistry can be almost painless.   You can feel more in control if you take part in decisions about your treatment and that can help you to feel less anxious.  We can discuss a variety of options to make your visits as pleasant as possible.

You don’t want to be taken by surprise.  During the appointment, ask us to explain what’s happening at every stage of the treatment.  This may help to lower your anxiety.  When you know what the dentist is about to do next, you can prepare yourself.

Another helpful technique is to agree on a hand signal you can use if you want everything to stop right away.  Dr. Tillman advises his patients to raise their hand and he will stop immediately.  This gives you a sense of control.  Don’t wait until you’re having pain to give the signal.  You can ask him to stop because you’d like to rinse your mouth, simply catch your breath, or even to take a short break.

Distraction is also good way to ease your fears.  Some patients enjoy listening to music during their appointment.  This gives them an opportunity to focus on their favorite band or songs instead of noises or dental talk.  Dr. Tillman has Pandora for his patients that want to listen to music.  We even have televisions in the treatment rooms so that patients can redirect their focus.  Other patients bring their ear phones and I-Pods in to really block out noises and take them to a “happy place”.

Nitrous oxide or laughing gas is a very common form of pain management in the dental office.  The gas may make you feel relaxed and happy.  This is a great tool to use since the effects wear off quickly once the gas is turned off.

Dental visits can be quite worrying to some patients.  As long as you keep the line of communication open between you and your dentist they will always find a way to put your fears to rest.