Taking good care of your teeth starts with more than just brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day. In fact, according to The American Dental Association, patients should also be getting bi-annual cleanings from their dentist. If your fear of going to the dentist has kept you from getting a cleaning, then you may be putting yourself at a higher risk of oral conditions like gum disease, cavities, or tooth decay. To help you feel better about going to the dentist, this article will list a few helpful ways that you can feel calm and relaxed. Read on to learn more. 

Take Deep Breaths

Yes, taking deep breaths may sound like something that's not going to work but deep breathing exercises both while you're in the waiting room and while you're having your cleaning done will help to lower your heart rate and keep you feeling calm throughout your entire appointment. To really practice your deep breathing, slowly inhale through your mouth and hold your breath for about ten seconds. Then, exhale through your mouth in a slow, controlled manner. 

Talk To Your Dentist

Even though dentists are extremely smart, they, unfortunately, don't have eth ability to read minds (at least yet, anyway). So, before you sit in their chair, talk to your dentist and let them know that you re feeling a little scared and anxious about your cleaning. From there, your dentist will be able to talk you through the cleaning to keep you calm, be a little more gentle, and may even offer you something called sedation dentistry. 

Ask About Sedation Dentistry

It used to be that no matter how scared you were of going to the dentist, you had to put on your big boy pants and go anyways. And although you still need to muster up the courage, dentists now offer patients something called sedation dentistry. Sedation dentistry involves anything from valium to general anesthesia to help patients remain calm during their dental cleaning or any other sorts of procedures. If this sounds like something that you are interested in learning more about, then make sure to call your dentist's office beforehand and see if they offer this type of dentistry. 

Going to the dentist may sound like your worst nightmare, but much like with anything, it's probably worse in your mind than it is in reality. Follow these tips to ensure that you have a more enjoyable experience. For more information, check out a website like http://www.accentdentalnwi.com/.