Have you had a bad experience with a dentist in the past? Did this bad experience make you wary of future visits to a dental office? Anxiety when it comes to visiting a dentist isn't uncommon, especially if you've had a less than stellar experience in the past. But because good dental care is important to the condition of your mouth, it's essential to come up with strategies that will allow you to get the dental care that you need. Some things that can allow you to resume visiting the dentist are:

Discuss everything

A good dentist will be willing to explain everything that needs to be done to your teeth and why. If you are opposed to any of the proposed procedures, he or she should have alternate plans even if he or she feels the results may not be as satisfactory as the original proposal.

If your mouth needs a lot of work, make sure to discuss with a dentist whether you'd prefer to have as much done at once as possible or if you'd prefer to make several smaller visits over the course of a few weeks or months. Some people want to have everything over and done with quickly, while others don't want to have to deal with everything at once. Good dentists should be willing to work with your needs and come up with a care plan that is right for you.

Don't be afraid to say no

Saying no to a dentist can be difficult for some people, especially if the dentist is in the middle of looking in your mouth. But while it's natural to feel slightly uncomfortable about work the dentist has to do, you should never be afraid to speak up if you feel that something is actually wrong. Good dentists will work with you and will either work around the issue or will find ways to alleviate your fears. If you are seeing a dentist who does not listen to your concerns at all, it's time to seek out a new dentist with more concern for your well-being.

Wear headphones

Just the sounds in a dentist office can cause anxiety for many people. If you're one of them, one of the worst parts about visiting dentists may simply be hearing the drill even when your teeth aren't the ones getting the filling. Invest in a good pair of noise-canceling headphones to wear while at the dentist's office and block out all these unwanted sounds. Listening to music in and of itself has been shown to help to reduce or eliminate some of the pain or discomfort you might feel while the dentist works on your teeth. You may have to experiment a little to find the right playlist for you, but it can have a huge impact on reducing your anxiety and pain levels once you find the right type of music to listen to.