Do you ever feel anxious or fearful when you visit the dentist? You're not alone! Millions of Americans feel this way, but the good news is that modern dentistry is doing several things to help relax their patients' nervous systems and help them feel more at ease in the dental chair.
The Science of Dental Anxiety: Why Your Body Goes into Fight-or-Flight
When you struggle with fear, anxiety, or dental phobia, your body actually perceives the dental chair or hand tools as a threat. This activates your amygdala (the fight-or-flight system in your brain) to sound the alarm. This causes your body to release adrenaline and cortisol as a stress response, which speeds up your heart rate, quickens your breathing, tightens your muscles, and creates that familiar pit you feel in your stomach when you visit the dentist. This is an actual physical condition for many patients.
Using Specialized Tech for Nervous System Regulation
