Posted on: Wednesday, March 2, 2005

Relax at dentist's? Here's the drill

By Cheryl Powell
Knight Ridder News Service

Scared of going to the dentist?

You're not alone.

"When the teeth are hurting, the pain is exquisite," said Rita Cowan, a Cuyahoga Falls psychologist who specializes in pain management.

"And human beings are designed for pain avoidance, so there's a built-in mechanism around that."

Past experiences, particularly those before current techniques that eliminate pain, can contribute to anxiety.

Horror stories and jokes about frightening dental visits don't help, either.

Cowan offers these tips to help patients make their next visit to the dentist more tolerable:

• Visit the practice before selecting a new dentist. Make sure you like the style of the dentist and his or her staff.
• Ask the dentist questions about approaches used to control pain.
• Practice breathing techniques before your appointment to help you relax during stressful moments. "Feel the cool going in the nostrils and hot air going out the mouth," Cowan said.
• Use visualization to imagine yourself somewhere more pleasant — perhaps the beach or a favorite hiking spot.
• Ask your dentist if you can use headphones to listen to your favorite music or a book on tape, if the practice doesn't already provide them.