When you begin thinking about your fear of visiting the dentist, you may start to wonder whether you will be able to conquer your dental anxiety. The answer is, of course! While this might sound like quite a feat, we encourage you to consider some potential avenues toward feeling more confident (and relaxed) about care. We also suggest you keep sedation in mind as a wonderful tool for receiving essential care.

You might not know this, but a little stress can actually be good for a person. It compels one to use caution in dangerous situations, and to work hard to meet necessary deadlines. It can even indicate the importance of making smart but hard decisions, like choosing to discipline a child or to save money instead of spending it. Unfortunately, prolonged or extreme stress can take a toll both emotionally and physically. It can also lead people to avoid treatment that could help them restore or maintain their overall health. Since April is Stress Awareness Month, it marks a great time to learn more about how to cope with stress, in healthy ways.