Anxiety over a medical procedure is entirely natural. It doesn’t matter if you’re going in to repair an injured foot or require oral surgery; a feeling of uneasiness is familiar and can happen to anyone.
Many individuals have an uneasiness when visiting the dentist. Perhaps when they were younger, they had to deal with many cavities, teeth that needed pulling, or corrective braces. Others dislike having another person so close to their face and fingers in their mouths. There is no shortage of reasons why someone might feel a level of discomfort up to the point of it causing anxiety.
If you have been informed you need to have a root canal performed, you might experience some anxiety while thinking of the upcoming procedure. The brain can take a deep dive into the worst possible outcomes, in which case you can unintentionally rev up your anxiety into a frenzy. Having anxiety, even if it doesn’t billow up into an anxiety attack, can make your root canal treatment problematic. To help calm your nerves, here are a few ways to relieve and reduce your root canal anxiety.
Answer All Your Questions
First of all, don’t start looking up answers online. Trying to obtain answers to any medical procedure online will instantly increase anxiety. Websites will showcase the worst possible outcome (which rarely happens, and usually, extreme circumstances are at play), and the images used are usually out of context.
Instead, you must discuss the root canal procedure with your dentist or endodontist. They can address every single question you have. Whether you’re concerned, it will hurt, or whether you’ll feel pain, there’s no such thing as a dumb or small question. It is in the best interest of you and the dental provider to relieve your anxiety. You will feel more comfortable, and the dentist will have an easier time performing the procedure.
In many instances, including when dealing with oral problems, the more knowledge you have, the easier and more relaxed you’ll feel regarding the procedure.
A Good Night’s Sleep
Before you go in for your root canal, make sure you get a good night’s sleep. You want to rest and relax (as much as possible), which means going to bed early and enjoying your sleep. Having quality sleep will go a long way in reducing possible anxiety. It’s not a cure-all, but every little bit helps, especially if you are someone that regularly experiences high levels of anxiety whenever it comes to medical procedures.
You should also eat a balanced dinner the night before. Having a healthy meal that is also filling will help prevent any kind of spikes or drops in your blood sugar levels.
Avoid Stimulants
Anything that will increase your body’s heart rate needs to be avoided. Anxiety will already cause your heart to race, and adding fuel to that fire is something you need to avoid. This means skipping your morning cup of coffee. Yes, sometimes the best part of waking up is the taste of a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Still, when it comes to subduing your root canal anxiety, you will want to avoid any caffeine before going into the dental or endodontist’s office.
Likewise, it would be best if you avoid smoking. Any stimulant will affect your body as you prepare for a root canal. Now, if you are on prescribed medications with stimulating aspects, contact your doctor and ask if you should continue or stop before the root canal procedure.
Tell Your Specialist About Your Anxiety
Dental anxiety is nothing new, and your specialist has seen it before. So do not feel embarrassed or apologize for your anxiety. Everyone has their own, unique reasons for going through root canal anxiety. However, it is best to discuss this with your dentist or endodontist.
Do not try to underscore the severity of your anxiety. Do you clam up, go into cold sweats, and experience tunnel vision at the sight of a needle? If so, let your dentist know. Providers usually offer nitrous for anxiety and also use anxiolytic drugs for anxiety reduction.
Ideally, you should discuss this with your dental expert before going in on the day of the root canal. This way, the staff can have everything on hand and ready for your visit. If you wait until the day, it might take the dental team more time to prepare everything, which will only prolong the amount of time you must remain in the examination chair.
Schedule Your Root Canal Consultation Today
Has your general dentist told you that you are in need of a root canal? Whatever your situation is, Southern Endodontic Specialists are here to provide you with top-notch endodontic care. Thanks to the technology on hand, the root canal is less invasive than ever before, which in turn allows for minimal discomfort and the fastest healing time possible.
To schedule your root canal consultation or to have all of your questions answered, all you need to do is give the friendly customer service team at Southern Endodontic Specialists a call at your earliest convenience.