Surgery is never fun. That said, some patients experience such crippling anxiety that they are liable to put off even critical healthcare procedures. Dentists tend to get the brunt of this negative reaction; many patients harbor irrational fear about dental implant surgery. Before any procedure, dentists typically try to ease a patient’s anxiety with reassurances, helping a patient to be more relaxed and calm.

Dental implant surgery shouldn't be a cause of anxiety
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Why Do Patients Get Nervous About Dental Procedures?

Anxiety and phobias don’t discriminate—they affect all ages. Children may develop dental anxiety from a bad experience. Alternatively, they may mimic an adult’s anxiety. But it’s not limited to the little ones. Adults with odontophobia struggle to grow out of it.

Dental anxiety and odontophobia may stem from any number of issues. These include mental health disorders, a previous traumatic medical experience, or trust difficulties. In addition, patients may feel that dental procedures invade their personal space, or they could simply be afraid of losing control. The media hasn’t helped either. TV shows and movies have hyped up fears surrounding dental treatments.

Whatever the cause, dental anxiety can feed into a vicious cycle. If a patient is worried about going to the dentist, they might put off routine checkups. And without these treatments, they’re more likely to develop serious dental problems that require invasive action—thus confirming their worst fears about dentistry.

Dental professionals are trained to recognize and manage dental anxiety. A few standard practices, mixed in with a good amount of empathy, help break the anxiety barrier. Taking care of relaxed patients saves both the practitioner and the patient treatment time and unnecessary stress during a procedure.

Easing Patient Anxiety Before Dental Implant Surgery

Here are five techniques dentists use that can help manage patient anxiety prior to dental implant surgery.

1. Explain the Procedure Step-by-Step.

The fear of the unknown, combined with a loss of control, can be a significant cause of dental anxiety. During the consultation for dental restoration, dentists always walk the patient through the procedure. Showing patience and empathy to a patient’s concerns helps them trust the process and the dentist, feeling more confident about the ease of the procedure.

A common anxiety-reducing technique is the “tell-show-do” method. First, dentists verbally explain the phases of the procedure (tell). Then they demonstrate (show) what will happen using visual aids (photos, models, video). Empathy goes a long way at these stages. Whether they are treating a child or a very inquisitive adult, dentists typically adapt the explanation to the patient’s level of understanding and appreciation.

Lastly, all dentists are expected to conduct the procedure (do) exactly as they have explained it.

2. Removing All Doubts

Establishing the dentist as a qualified professional engenders trust. A patient is, after all, looking to the dentist as the expert. A good dentist is not offended if a nervous patient questions their expertise, as anxiety is often irrational. They will typically talk patients through their concerns and appeal to their more logical side, which usually settles them down. Highlighting their dental education, experience, and success rates in dental implant surgery is another surefire method dentists use to get the patient to fully buy in. Not to mention, emphasis on the surgical outcome by showing pictures of successful cases is a very convincing strategy.

3. Offer Distractions

Headphones or Bluetooth eye masks can be very useful in soothing patients’ nerves before dental implant surgery. With headphones or Bluetooth eyemasks, patients can listen to music, enjoy an audiobook, or listen to a podcast. Some practices have high-tech video glasses that play select movies and shows. Since most dental procedures require the patient to be awake, distraction can be a powerful tool to help them cope with their dental anxiety. In addition to drowning out the stressful sounds of dental tools, audio input can also fix the patient’s attention on something other than the procedure. Notice how your dentist and the dental assistant carry conversations around you while you are on the chairs?

The Science

Audiobooks and video glasses let patients dive into the plot. When their attention is focused on a story, it’s easier to ignore what’s going on around them. This equipment truly pays off when the patient is immersed in the story/screen instead of a dentist’s every move. Music is an effective stress reliever. Music is not only a distraction; listening to soft, relaxing music has physiological effects: lowering blood pressure and decreasing cortisol levels.

If your practice does not have these distractions--

Recommend that your patients have a selection of media on hand—or encourage them to bring in their own device. During the dental consultation, suggest preparing a playlist or downloading a show to enjoy during the upcoming appointment. Instead of an hour of stress, they can reframe the appointment as an hour of self-care where they get to relax.

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4. Prescribe Medication

Over and above the local anesthetic applied during restorative dental procedures, medication can help calm the patient’s nerves with varying levels of sedation. For patients that experience more severe levels of dental anxiety, medical solutions may be necessary to manage the phobia. Prescription medication to treat anxiety depends on the specific needs of the patient and the intensity of the procedure. Some of the medicines used to treat dental anxiety are listed below.

  • Nitrous Oxide, also called “laughing gas” or “happy gas,” promotes relaxation. During dental treatment, the patient feels relaxed but awake, and most people find the sensation very pleasant.
  • Anti-anxiety prescriptions include oral medications like temazepam or diazepam, which may be prescribed in anticipation of dental implant surgery. These medications should only be prescribed in small, short-acting doses taken within an hour of the appointment. Patients must have support driving to and from the appointment because of the sedative effects of the drugs.
  • Conscious sedation sees the patient receive medication through an IV drip that keeps them in a light state of consciousness. The patient may drift off but should respond to verbal cues.
  • General anesthesia isn’t always the first choice. However, putting patients fully under may be necessary for more invasive surgeries.

5. Try Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy can reduce a patient’s stress during a dental procedure. As previous negative experiences may be triggered by sense memory, restructuring the sensory composition of the dental environment can limit exposure to stressful stimuli. The sense of smell, in particular, is most closely tied to memory.

The Science

Odors have a direct path to the limbic system, which controls memory and emotional responses. The metallic smells of antiseptics and eugenol can trigger a patient’s anxiety. Diffusing pleasant odors in the ambiance of the dental office has a two-fold benefit. In addition to masking the triggering scents, certain herbs and spices can also produce a calming effect. According to a report from Medical News Today, lavender, lemon, thyme, and geranium all reduce stress-related symptoms.

What to Do

Run essential oil diffusers throughout the office, making sure the oils are cold-pressed without any irritating chemical additives. There are diffusers made with dental offices in mind to attach directly to an HVAC system, so you don’t need to worry about finding shelf space.

Consider Your Implant Treatment Options

Many patients experience elevated levels of anxiety prior to dental implant surgery. With some compassion and intentionality, dentists are able to ease these fears, allowing the patient to feel the sense of regaining control, and minimizing, if not eliminating, triggering sensory inputs.

For implant treatments, dentists can offer an option to conventional implant surgery with the minimally invasive MOR mini implant. Reach out to Sterngold today.