Anxiety can be hard to handle at the best of times – and denture anxiety can be a double whammy. Plenty of people already have dental anxiety – it affects somewhere between 13-24% of people around the world. Then there’s the fear of the life changes that getting dentures may bring.
When you put it all together, it can be a hard barrier to overcome – even if you’re pretty sure that getting dentures is the best decision you can make for your health.
That’s why we’ve created this guide. Dentures aren’t for everyone, but if you think they’re for you and anxiety is your biggest barrier, this guide should help you conquer your fears.
Talk to your denturist
With dental anxiety affecting as many as one in four people, trust us when we say we’ve helped patients with severe anxiety before.
The best thing you can do? Tell us that you’re anxious. We’ll spend more time with you to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible during the consultation and during any of the procedures needed to ensure that your dentures fit perfectly.
Our goal is to provide our patients with the best quality of care available. For some patients, that means helping them get adjusted to our clinic. Some patients want sedation – others are looking for caring, compassionate words.
Whatever you need, we’ll cater to you. We understand how it feels to struggle with anxiety. Our staff is trained in techniques to help you manage it. We’re here for you.
Learn everything you can about dentures
Let’s get philosophical for just a moment: What is fear, if not fear of the unknown? Once something is done, you can’t fear it – it’s in the past. That means knowledge can be an antidote to fear.
Don’t speculate too much on what wearing dentures might be like – do your research. You’re already reading this, and that’s an excellent start. We highly encourage you to read the other posts on our blog. In it, we cover all kinds of topics relating to dentures, from how to care for them to how to speak confidently while wearing them.
Have any questions about the procedure for getting dentures or the different kinds of dentures? We’ve got resources to learn from – but we highly encourage you to read information from more than one website. Google any questions you may have – whole blogs and forums are dedicated to answering the exact kinds of questions that may be causing you anxiety.
Another great way of learning about dentures is by talking to your denturist, as we discussed above. That’s one of the reasons we offer a free consultation to all of our new patients. You can come to our office, ask any and every question you have, and get answers. We’ll even bring up points you’ve probably never considered – and give you all the information you’re looking for and more.
After all, information is one of the most potent antidotes to fear.
Understand the positives and the negatives of getting dentures
Information isn’t always impartial. We’re here to tell you that every type of denture has advantages and disadvantages.
No matter what kind of dentures you get, the process isn’t always going to be easy. Adjusting to dentures takes time. It can be painful, both emotionally and physically. They’re not a cure-all. You’ll need to learn to wear and care for your dentures, and it’s likely that you’ll make mistakes. Your dentures are likely to need repairs and adjustments.
Those are some of the negatives – we’re not here to sugar-coat it. But don’t let that overshadow the good. If dentures are right for you, they can dramatically improve your life, from restoring your smile to helping you fight off nutritional deficiencies.
Healthy, natural teeth are always better than dentures, and you should strive to keep your teeth healthy for as long as possible. But for patients who can no longer rely on their natural teeth, full and partial dentures can be life-changing.
Talk to people who have dentures
Some of the best support to overcome anxiety will come from people who have dentures – especially those who have had them for a long time. They know all of the ups and downs of having dentures. They’ll probably have a lot of interesting stories.
Of course, it’s not always easy to know who has dentures. We craft them to look natural, after all. Here’s the solution: Ask people you trust if they know anyone who has dentures. Tell them you’re thinking about getting dentures and that you’re looking for someone who would be willing to talk about their experiences.
The best part of this technique? If you choose to get dentures, you’ll have someone who knows the ropes that you can lean on when you need advice.
Lean on your support network
We’ve talked a lot about how our denture clinic in Winnipeg can help you overcome anxiety. We know all about dentures. That’s only one side of the equation. However – you need people who know all about you.
Lean on your support network. Tell your friends, family, and loved ones about your anxiety. You’re almost sure to find that they’ve experienced anxiety about similar things. They’ll remind you that you’re loved and supported. Tell them you’ll need their support if you choose to get dentures.
When we feel anxious, it can be tempting to move away from people. But when we lean on them, instead, we may find that we grow closer to them than we ever were before.
We hope this helps.
