Are you afraid of getting dizzy at the dentist?
I meet a lot of people who have felt dizziness in the dental chair and are now afraid to go back! Dental care is important to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
In this blog, I will share three tips to help if you are getting dizzy at the dentist.
Arrange a Ride Home If You Feel Dizzy at the Dentist
If you get dizzy at the dentist, you may feel fine driving there. But after getting dizzy at the dentist, you may not be able to drive yourself home. I recommend for you to arrange a ride home in advance in case you feel too dizzy to drive.
Also, be careful about getting up from the dental chair. If you have gotten dizzy at the dentist, you may be more likely to fall after standing up.
Pre-Medicate
I suggest you consider pre-medicating before the dentist appointment. That may help you tolerate getting dizzy at the dentist. For more information on common medications people use for dizziness, check out my blog on Medications for Dizziness.
There are a few different types of medications people use for dizziness. Certainly, pre-medicating to help you get through necessary dental care is worth considering. It is almost like using anesthesia to get through surgery. You can use the medication to help you tolerate the discomfort.
Ask for a pillow or neck support
There are a few reasons why people feel dizzy at the dentist. Many of those reasons have to do with reclining back in the chair.
You can ask the dentist for a pillow or neck support. Then you will not be leaning so far back. You can also bring your own neck support or small pillow if you have one that works well.
It is not a good idea to avoid the dentist altogether because oral health affects your overall health.
Some people tell me that they refuse to let the dentist recline the chair so they don’t feel dizzy at the dentist. However, if you are sitting up fairly straight, then the dentist or hygienist may injure his or her neck while working on you!
In order to get to the root cause of your dizzy symptoms, I recommend for you to consult a vertigo and dizziness expert.
Then hopefully you can stop getting dizzy at the dentist!
Check out these five additional reasons to seek professional vertigo care.
Still want to learn more? Check out our resource on the connection between vertigo and teeth.
Disclaimer
This blog is provided for informational purposes only. The content and any comments by Dr. Kim Bell, DPT are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The details of any case mentioned in this post represent a typical patient that Dr. Bell might see and do not describe the circumstances of a specific individual.
I have had Positional Vertigo for over 7 years now.
I first was woken up on left side in bed spinning and quickly moved to right side and Vertigo subsided in seconds.
This feeling lasted for 2 months every time I moved my head a certain way or lied flat.
Now 7 yrs later it still sparks up IF I roll to left side in bed OR lay close to flat.
I sleep almost sitting up.
But can sleep almost flat on right side IF a Pillow or blanket supports head.
4 ENTs I have seen over time have tried adjustments on me but never helps. This keeps me from being able to go to the Dentist or get MRI or CT scans and so on.
What can I do, because there is NO dentist out here willing to help unless I can lie flat.
Hi May,
I’m sorry to hear this!
These blogs may help:
Dizzy at the dentist
How to find a vertigo doctor