Needle Phobia is not only a fear of the dentist, but also a fear of needles. At Hallcross we are aware that patients may have anxiety towards visiting the dentist and having injections . Whether you are having dental implants or cosmetic treatment, the thought of an injection can be enough to put a person off treatment. Before any dental treatment or injection make sure you eat first to prevent you from feeling light headed or faint. You can also ask your dentist to use a topical anesthetic (numbing gel) which numbs your gums first, this will make the experience more pleasant.
It is also important to take deep breaths and to keep breathing. Holding your breath may make you panic, feel dizzy and feel more pain from the injection. The best advise you can give yourself is to stay calm, the experience will be over quickly. Keep your mind distracted, are you going on holiday soon, maybe thinking of a change of hairstyle. There are many reasons why patients may find dental injections painful. They could have had a bad experience previously or just have a general fear. Often, the best way to start overcoming your fear is to change your mindset. For instance, thinking ”needles are the worst” or I’m terrified of needles” only makes the fear worse. Instead you could say ”a needle may hurt, but it is important for my dental health, it will be over quickly”.
However, whatever your phobia, we will work with you at Hallcross to make the experience as painless as possible.
In categories: Routine Dentistry