Dental Anxiety

Can you tell us how anxious you get, if at all, with your dental visit?

How anxious did you feel	Not Anxious	Slightly Anxious	Fairly Anxious	Very Anxious	Extremely Anxious
Yesterday, when you thought about this appointment?	1	2	3	4	5
Sitting in the waiting room?	1	2	3	4	5
Thinking about or having a tooth drilled?	1	2	3	4	5
Thinking about or having your teeth cleaned?	1	2	3	4	5
Thinking about or having an injection for numbing?	1	2	3	4	5

 

Add up the numbers you circled Total _______

 

If you scored above a 3 on any one or scored higher than 15 you could have Dental Anxiety. 

So far EVERY person that I have asked who struggles with trauma and anxiety, dislikes the dentist so much that it interferes with their regular cleanings.

 

 

TRY THIS:

• Notice your feet on the floor… press into them … left foot…. Then right foot. Repeat 
• Notice where your body makes contact with where you’re sitting. Allow your seat to support you. Lean into your sit bones… left… then right. Repeat 
• Crossing your arms over your chest or placing your hands on your top of your legs
• Slowly tap or rock… left… right… as slow as is soothing for you.. Tap left – right. Back and forth. Repeat for about 30 seconds or till it feels good enough. 
• Pause and invite a breath…. Exhale all the way…. Check in with your internal weather report. 
• Are you cloudy today… stormy…. Foggy…. Just notice what you notice.. Without judgment if you can. 
• Repeat slow tapping and breathing if it feels comforting and soothing. 
• If it feels distressful, stop tapping, and go to another calming skill you have. 

We can help 

234-600-8200 Call/Text

https://traumatherapycompany.com/