We’re no strangers to dental anxiety. Because we’re dental professionals, we’ve worked with patients at every point on the anxiety spectrum – from completely calm to totally freaked out. No matter how you feel in the dental chair, there are ways to boost your attitude. We want every one of our patients to feel comfortable in our office, and we’ll work tirelessly to get you there.
Fortunately, growing more calm at the dentist’s doesn’t have to mean extreme steps. In fact, something as simple as open communication can assist even the most fearful patients. Not convinced? Read on to learn how patient education helps soothe troubled patients.
What is Health Literacy?
Health literacy is an individual’s ability to obtain, comprehend, and apply information about his/her health. This type of literacy varies from patient to patient based on a vast number of personal qualities and varying backgrounds. With the advent of the Internet, health literacy has become much simpler to improve. Dentistry-specific patient resources available online can be accessed anytime, anywhere.
But not every patient takes advantage of them. When you’re in the dark about a specific treatment, or about the reasons for scheduling regular exams, you’re much less likely to follow through. The unknown can be terrifying – and patients who aren’t frightened by it aren’t motivated by knowledge, so they don’t schedule either. Today is the day you change the way you approach your dental care and oral health: and the first step is talking to your dentist.
Dentist-Patient Communication
The Cherry Creek Dentistry team is here for you – and we want to do everything we can to help. We encourage our patients to ask questions prior to and throughout treatment. If you’re aware of every step of the way, you’ll be all the more ready for the procedure. We know it can be hard to speak up – we’re all familiar with feeling overwhelmed while a doctor, nurse, or dentist rapidly fires off information. But that information is related to your own health – and it should be your top priority to comprehend it. If you ever need something repeated or would like additional resources, don’t hesitate to ask. You’re never wasting our time – it’s our job to help.
Oral Health Resources for Patient Education
Before your next appointment, feel free to do some research on your own. The following websites have a great variety of patient-friendly information, about treatment options and dental problems alike:
- Mouth Healthy – The American Dental Association’s patient site offers and A-Z guide of everything you could want to know about dental care.
- Colgate – Colgate’s oral health and cosmetic dentistry guide has a helpful collection of articles and treatment-specific posts.
- Mayo Clinic – Concerned about an aspect of oral disease, or general healthy living? The Mayo Clinic offers expert guidance.
- WebMD – Every one of WebMD’s oral health pages is reviewed by a dentist for accuracy of information.
Our Denver Team Addresses Dental Anxiety Head-On
If you’re ready to talk about your dental anxiety, or hoping to get answers to any care-related questions, contact us today. We’re happy to discuss any aspect of your treatment and oral health. We want you in the driver’s seat; and throughout that trip, we’ll be at your side. First, you have to get in the car.
If your anxiety level doesn’t seem like it can be tamed by patient education, don’t worry: we also offer dental sedation for patients with sensitive teeth, bad gag reflexes, or particularly bad fear. We’ll find the sedation option that is right for your needs, and keeps you calm and happy throughout treatment.