{"id":1552,"date":"2015-08-15T00:12:16","date_gmt":"2015-08-15T00:12:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mygreatsmile.com\/?p=1552"},"modified":"2025-03-27T05:06:45","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T05:06:45","slug":"five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/","title":{"rendered":"FIVE TIPS FOR OVERCOMING DENTAL ANXIETY"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Dental anxiety is so common that approximately 15% of adults avoid visiting the dentist because of fear.<\/p>\n<p>Dental anxiety is more common in older adults, who may have experienced dental care when procedures were not as advanced as they are today. The older you are, the more likely it is that you had a dental procedure when anesthesia was not used and your comfort as the patient was not foremost in the dentist\u2019s mind.<\/p>\n<p>However, great strides have been made in making the dental patient comfortable!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1553 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ortho1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Dental anxiety in springfield, MA\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ortho1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ortho1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Here are five strategies to calm your fears:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Talk to your dentist. Remember that your dentist is a patient, too. If you are anxious about a procedure, talk with your dentist about it. It could be that the \u2018unknown\u2019 is what you fear, especially if it has been many years since you last visited a dentist. Don\u2019t be afraid to ask questions!Get distracted. Let your mind wander; think about something else. At Dr. Peck\u2019s office you can watch a movie, listen to the radio or a podcast or audio book on your mobile device. We even offer head rest pillows and a blanket to help give you a feeling of well-being.<\/li>\n<li>Talk with your hands. It is difficult to communicate with your dentist with a mouthful of dental tools. Talk to your dentist before your procedure about how you will communicate any pain or sensation you may feel.<\/li>\n<li>Consider medication. Today\u2019s anesthesia is much more effective than in years past. Discuss with your dentist the varied possibilities, such as an oral medication taken the night before your procedure, numbing medication or nitrous oxide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you find that you lose sleep and tend to worry excessively about what might happen at the dentist\u2019s office, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/meet-our-dentists.html\">Dr. Peck<\/a> can put your fears to rest. Your oral health is well worth the effort!<\/p>\n<p>Call for a consultation, today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dental anxiety is so common that approximately 15% of adults avoid visiting the dentist because of fear. Dental anxiety is more common in older adults, who may have experienced dental care when procedures were not&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sedation-dentistry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dental Care Anxiety | Dentist in Springfield &amp; Ludlow, MA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dental anxiety is more common in older adults, who may have experienced dental care when procedures were not as advanced as they are today.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Dental Care Anxiety | Dentist in Springfield &amp; Ludlow, MA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Dental anxiety is more common in older adults, who may have experienced dental care when procedures were not as advanced as they are today.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ortho1-300x200.jpg\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Henley\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/087f9f8bd20605b016fdeb26719aa60e\"},\"headline\":\"FIVE TIPS FOR OVERCOMING DENTAL ANXIETY\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-08-15T00:12:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-27T05:06:45+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":321,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/ortho1-300x200.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Sedation Dentistry\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/\",\"name\":\"Dental Care Anxiety | Dentist in Springfield & Ludlow, MA\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/ortho1-300x200.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-08-15T00:12:16+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-03-27T05:06:45+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/087f9f8bd20605b016fdeb26719aa60e\"},\"description\":\"Dental anxiety is more common in older adults, who may have experienced dental care when procedures were not as advanced as they are today.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/ortho1-300x200.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/08\\\/ortho1-300x200.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"FIVE TIPS FOR OVERCOMING DENTAL ANXIETY\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Taylor Street Dental\",\"description\":\"Cosmetic Dentists Springfield, MA\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.mygreatsmile.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/087f9f8bd20605b016fdeb26719aa60e\",\"name\":\"Henley\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Dental Care Anxiety | Dentist in Springfield & Ludlow, MA","description":"Dental anxiety is more common in older adults, who may have experienced dental care when procedures were not as advanced as they are today.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Dental Care Anxiety | Dentist in Springfield & Ludlow, MA","twitter_description":"Dental anxiety is more common in older adults, who may have experienced dental care when procedures were not as advanced as they are today.","twitter_image":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ortho1-300x200.jpg","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/"},"author":{"name":"Henley","@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/087f9f8bd20605b016fdeb26719aa60e"},"headline":"FIVE TIPS FOR OVERCOMING DENTAL ANXIETY","datePublished":"2015-08-15T00:12:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-27T05:06:45+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/"},"wordCount":321,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ortho1-300x200.jpg","articleSection":["Sedation Dentistry"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/","name":"Dental Care Anxiety | Dentist in Springfield & Ludlow, MA","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ortho1-300x200.jpg","datePublished":"2015-08-15T00:12:16+00:00","dateModified":"2025-03-27T05:06:45+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/087f9f8bd20605b016fdeb26719aa60e"},"description":"Dental anxiety is more common in older adults, who may have experienced dental care when procedures were not as advanced as they are today.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ortho1-300x200.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/ortho1-300x200.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/five-tips-for-overcoming-dental-anxiety\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"FIVE TIPS FOR OVERCOMING DENTAL ANXIETY"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/","name":"Taylor Street Dental","description":"Cosmetic Dentists Springfield, MA","inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/087f9f8bd20605b016fdeb26719aa60e","name":"Henley"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1552","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1552"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1552\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3838,"href":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1552\/revisions\/3838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1552"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1552"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mygreatsmile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1552"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}