I used to get super jittery before dentist visits, like sweaty palms and the whole deal. But last week I tried listening to a funny podcast during my appointment and it actually worked wonders. Anyone else found something random that helped ease dental nerves?
Podcasts can be helpful, but I'd be cautious about using anything too funny during dental work—laughing mid-procedure can get tricky (trust me, I've seen it happen...). Maybe calming music or audiobooks might be safer bets? Has anyone tried those instead?
Yeah, calming music has been my go-to lately. Podcasts are great, but like you said, laughing at the wrong moment can be risky—I learned that the hard way during a filling once, not fun. Audiobooks seem promising too, though I haven't tried them yet. I usually pick something instrumental or ambient, nothing with sudden loud parts...helps keep me from jumping out of the chair mid-procedure.
Instrumental music is good, but have you ever tried nature sounds? Like rainstorms or ocean waves? I gave it a shot last time and it was surprisingly relaxing...though I did spend half the appointment wondering if the dentist could hear my rainforest frogs chirping through the headphones. 😂 Audiobooks sound interesting too, but wouldn't you lose track of the story if things got intense in your mouth? Curious if anyone's actually managed to follow a plot during dental work.
Curious if anyone's actually managed to follow a plot during dental work.
Instrumental music never really did it for me either, always felt like I was stuck in some weird elevator scene. Nature sounds though...I might actually give that a shot next time. Frogs chirping in the dentist chair sounds hilarious, but honestly, if it distracts me from the drill, I'm all for it.
About audiobooks—I tried that once and yeah, totally lost track of the plot. It was some mystery novel and by the time the dentist finished, I had no clue who was who or what was happening. Had to rewind like three chapters afterward. Maybe comedy podcasts work better because you don't have to follow a storyline closely? Or maybe it's just easier to laugh off the anxiety when someone's cracking jokes in your ear.
Also, random thought: has anyone ever tried those stress balls or fidget toys during appointments? Wondering if squeezing something would help or just make me look like I'm about to crush the dentist's chair armrest...
