How to Encourage Your Partner to Go to the Dentist

If your partner or spouse has dental anxiety, they’re not alone. Some people fear experiencing discomfort or pain during dental visits, even if they’re just having a routine cleaning and exam done. Your partner might be nervous about dental visits, but it’s important for them to have routine cleanings done, as well as any other dental work they need. Here’s how you can support your partner and help them feel more comfortable going to the dentist.

Talk About Dental Anxiety

Encourage your partner to talk about how they feel. Sharing their thoughts and feelings about their fear of dental visits can help them feel more relaxed. Getting those thoughts out of their head and talking about them can help ease dental anxiety. You can also help by letting them know that this type of anxiety is common. They might feel better realizing that many people share this fear. Encourage them to keep talking to you, or if necessary, a therapist about their fear.

Go to the Dentist with Them

Your partner might have an easier time going to dental visits if you are there for emotional support. Depending on local restrictions, you might not be able to go into the dental office with your partner. However, even  being in the car with them on the way might help soothe their nervousness. You can talk about other things on the car ride to the dentist in order to take their mind off of their visit. When the appointment is over, they’ll have a familiar face to see as soon as possible which may help them feel better afterwards.

Encourage Them to Listen to Soothing Sounds

Calming sounds, such as nature sounds or soft music, can help your partner feel less anxious about going to the dentist. Encourage them to listen to soothing sounds before their appointment to help ease their mind. Soothing music can distract them from their dental anxiety and put them in a more relaxed frame of mind. They should avoid listening to loud music prior to their visit, since this could cause them to feel more anxious.

Practice Breathing Exercises Together

Focusing on breathing can help your partner relax before going to the dentist. Learn how to do deep breathing exercises together and then encourage them to try it to calm their mind and body. This involves taking deep breaths and slowly letting them out. Your partner might find it helpful to do deep breathing while waiting for their visit, too.

Meditate Together

Meditation can provide an effective way to calm fears about dental visits. If you already know how to meditate, you can show your partner how to do so. If you’ve never done meditation, this might be something that you and your partner can work on learning together. You can start off with shorter meditation sessions and gradually build up to longer ones as your partner becomes more comfortable with it. Meditating can help your partner learn to let fearful thoughts about going to the dentist drift by without dwelling on them. This can help your partner relax more before and during dental visits.

Encourage Them to Write in a Journal

If your partner isn’t comfortable talking about their dental anxiety, they can write about it in a journal. This gives them a way to get their feelings and thoughts out of their head and onto paper. Writing in a journal can help ease their mind about going to the dentist. Your partner can write in their journal on a regular basis or jot down their thoughts the night before or the morning of a dental visit to help calm their fears.

Talk About Dental Sedation

Dental sedation is a great option for your partner, whether they deal with mild or severe dental anxiety. Sedation can help them feel more at ease while having a dental cleaning or other dental work done. Different kinds of sedation are available, such as IV sedation, which involves receiving anti-anxiety medication intravenously. Oral sedation and nitrous oxide are other sedation options to consider. The type of sedation that might work best for your partner will depend on their anxiety level.

Conclusion

If your partner needs dental sedation in Phoenix or Mesa, encourage them to contact Dental Brothers today. We offer dental sedation to help your partner feel more at ease at dental visits, whether they need a routine dental cleaning done or other dental work.