We shared in a previous blog this month how having a back-to-school routine is beneficial for you and the kids. And how to apply that routine to their appointments with the dentist. But let’s talk about us grown-ups. Because it goes a little deeper for us.

We’ve got a lot on our plates—work, relationships, bills, and the grocery list to name a few. Then…as we realize it’s been (gulp) three years since our last dental check-up, the anxiety sets in. Why do we do this to ourselves?! There’s a better way.

Eliminate stress

• What is another word for a routine? The word “plan” comes to mind. It’s a plan. And having a plan means having control. We humans love to have things “under control” because there’s a certain way that it makes us feel. Control of life’s responsibilities gives us a sense of order and stability. It makes us feel safe to have control. When there is no routine or plan in place, and we feel out of control regarding taking care of ourselves, our old friend Anxiety comes until we make a move.
• Decisions, decisions, decisions. We make them ALL. DAY. LONG. We talk ourselves right out of any more decisions, such as which dental office to schedule an appointment with. And then where do we find ourselves? Answer: stressed out about making the decision next time we think about it. Or worse, we don’t even stop thinking about it! This is a total waste of energy we could be using on something that’s way more fun.
• With no routine, we wander around. You know how it goes. If you stray from the laundry routine, next thing you know you’re running to three different rooms to find a matching pair of socks. Or you’re changing your pants because the shirt you were going to wear is not where you thought it was, and in fact, it’s in the dirty clothes hamper. AUGHH!! Back-tracking all over the place is stressful.

With a dental routine in place, all of these stressful situations are resolved. You’ve eliminated the anxiety you usually feel from just picking up the phone. The plan is in place. You just carry it through!

 At Superior Dental, we can help keep you on track. During your initial exam, we treatment plan the right routine for your specific needs and can make all of your appointments and check-ups in advance. In doing so, you’ve taken control of your health and somewhere in that mind of yours, you feel safe and secure because of it. You’ve cut out the need for a future decision, it’s already been decided! And instead of being back and forth with no direction, you have a solid plan. No more backtracking or having to go through the same extensive treatment again and again. 

A routine in place wins the race! (We made that up, but it sounds great, right?!)

Cut down on the fear

Nothing is worse than the fear of the unknown. And just to put it simply, the unknown can be challenged by knowing! When you avoid making your dental appointments or keeping up with a dental routine, you keep yourself out of the loop. Those regular visits inform you of the condition of your mouth. This cancels out the unknown.

So what can we do to skip that dreaded feeling? Avoid avoidance! Avoid the chance to avoid your dental care routine. That sounds simple enough. It’s sticking with it, going when you don’t really feel like it, or going even though you’re a little nervous. But it is worth it, we assure you.

The patients that avoid their check-ups because they don’t really enjoy them are usually the people that go a really long time in between visits and then find themselves with a long treatment plan. Again. 

We want to help you avoid that overwhelm. 

Avoid procrastinating

Just don’t even give yourself the opportunity to delay something as important as your dental health! It’s so much easier to make appointments for your routine dental care in advance than to wait until you’re “supposed to go back”. Because life is always happening! You will find a hundred reasons on any given day of the week (especially the weekends) to not call. 

You’re very likely to procrastinate the things you have anxiety about. Those two go hand in hand. So if the dental office isn’t your favorite place to go, you’ll be really good at putting it off. 

Why worry yourself? Putting off these important things just takes up mental space, plain and simple. 

We love to use this analogy about your car:

A car needs routine maintenance: new oil and an oil filter, rotated tires, etc. 

If you don’t get your oil changed at the proper mileage, you think to yourself “I have GOT to get my oil changed!” 

Then some time goes by and the maintenance light comes on and reminds you that you still haven’t gotten the oil changed. Now you’re wondering somewhere in the back of your mind if something else is wrong with your car. 

Then, the check engine light comes on and now you’re really freaking out! …wouldn’t it have been much easier to just get the oil changed at a regular car maintenance appointment?