When you think of the dentist how does your body react?
Do you feel nauseous and short of breath? Do your palms get sweaty, your heart race, your hands shake.
You are reacting the way your ancestors did when they were faced with a lion, tiger or bear, oh my!
Adrenaline and Your Body
Adrenaline is the hormone that saves your life when you are physically in danger by giving you the energy to make a run for it, or to fight. At the dentist, however, none of these reactions are useful to you, so the energy only makes you more nervous. Sedation is a wonderful tool to overcome nervousness but when you can't have sedation, exercise can burn off this adrenaline boost and help calm you down.
Exercise and Adrenaline
Do a few push ups, take a walk, climb stairs two at a time.
If you can't get away or must sit or stay in one place, do isometrics in place by first tensing and then relaxing your muscles.
Do seated leg raises; clasp your hands in front of your chest and press together; while standing 3 feet from a wall, lower yourself toward the wall and repeat.
When your heart pumps faster during exercise, the adrenaline dissipates along with the anxious feelings. You'll be able to deal with dental anxiety more adaptively when the nervous energy has burned off.
Calmistry Reduces Dental Anxiety
The Calmistry instructional program helps individuals suffering from dental anxiety to catch up on overdue dental work by overcoming their fear of the dentist - without the use of medication.
Calmistry is designed to teach individuals who suffer from dental anxiety a variety of techniques for finding the comfort and confidence they need to reduce their anxiety before, during and after their dental treatment. Contained in a 70 minute audio CD with an accompanying booklet, Calmistry uses guided relaxation and visualization to help dental anxiety sufferers develop a peaceful internal state that they can access at any time. The program also includes gentle but powerful affirmations that, over time, can positively influence an individual's attitude toward receiving dental treatment.
The methods used in the Calmistry program are medically proven and completely drug-free, offering a safe, practical alternative to sedation dentistry, or an accompaniment to sedation dentistry options. Used in lieu of sedation, Calmistry eliminates the patient's need to "lose a day" to recovery and avoids possible side effects such as drug interactions.