Managing Anxiety During Your Dental Implant Procedure

Lifelong tooth replacement with dental implants can save your smile, providing a natural-looking, functioning replacement for a lost or damaged tooth. A single implant can hold one replacement tooth or several in a procedure known as All-on-X, and is designed to last a lifetime with proper care.  

The procedure itself, while life-changing, can also bring about anxiety and may prevent many people from seeking treatment. If you are experiencing such anxiety around a dental treatment like dental implants, you are not alone – nearly one in five people in the United States has moderate to high dental anxiety.  

Fortunately, there are ways to manage your dental anxiety during your trip to the prosthodontist.  

How to Manage Your Anxiety

Seek information

Fear of the unknown can trigger anxiety, especially when it comes to medical and dental procedures. Taking the time to learn, ask questions, and seek knowledge about different treatments can greatly reduce the anxiety you may feel by preparing you for what’s to come.  

You can find an abundance of information on dental implants on our website, including benefits, timeline, and more details on what to expect.  

Focus on your health

Dental anxiety often responds to the same conventional methods and relaxation techniques recommended for people with generalized anxiety. These methods include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of talk therapy that helps you identify triggers and help you redirect your anxious thoughts during treatment
• Desensitization therapy – taking small steps that gradually expose you to the dental experience; steps may include simply sitting in the dentist chair, for example
• Medication – anti-anxiety or anxiety-relieving medications can help you remain calm during treatment
• Progressive muscle relaxation – doing one muscle group (such as your feet and lower legs) at a time, tighten up and then relax your muscles; this therapy works best if you hold each muscle group tense for 5 seconds then exhaling as you let your muscles fully relax for 15 to 20 seconds before moving onto the next muscle group
• Yoga or meditation
• Distraction – listen to music while getting your new smile with dental implants
• Positive visualization – develop a picture in your mind of what your smile will look like
• Self-care practices such as eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising

Consider sedation dentistry

Sedation dentistry, also known as sleep dentistry, is an impactful tool for combating dental anxiety. If you’re experiencing anxiety, fear, or nervousness around your procedure, your prosthodontist will likely recommend something such as local anesthesia or IV sedation to ease any discomfort.

There are several types of anesthesia available to dental patients, such as:

• Nitrous oxide – also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide is a gas that relaxes you.
• Local anesthesia – the prosthodontist numbs the treatment area; you will remain awake through the procedure, but be unable to feel the work being done.
• General anesthesia – puts you into a deep sleep for extensive procedures, such as bone grafting
• Oral sedation – comes in the form of a pill or liquid that you take before the procedure; you will feel drowsy throughout the procedure, but be able to ask and answer questions.
• IV sedation – is conscious sedation using medicine to relieve the anxiety without taking your ability to breathe away. You won’t remember the experience because it has an amnesia effect.  

The type your prosthodontist will recommend depends largely on the number of dental implants you receive and your personal preferences.  

Choose a team that understands

Choosing a compassionate dental team that accommodates your fears upfront can make the experience of getting dental implants much more relaxing. Your prosthodontist can better tailor a treatment plan to ease any fears, helping to achieve the smile of your dreams in a calm environment.  

Schedule with Central Ohio’s Premier Implant Specialists at Oral Implant and Reconstructive Dentistry (OIRD)

For more information about ways to ease dental anxiety when getting your dental implants, contact OIRD. Doctors across the country refer their patients to our prosthodontist in Lewis Center for dental implants.

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