For some, the dentist is probably the scariest person on Earth. Many people dread visiting the tooth doctor, since most dental procedures are associated with pain. Everyone certainly remember the times when they had a tooth pulled or had the most dreaded of all dental procedures: the root canal treatment. You may try to worm your way out of your dental appointments for now, but there will come a time when a meeting with your dentist is absolutely inescapable. What will you do when that time comes?

You must know that a dental appointment isn’t really so bad if you apply the right strategies. Pain, of course, will be present, though there are ways for you to divert your attention to things other than tooth-related agony. You should just have lush imagination, a strong will and the cunning of a con artist to endure the most painful dental procedures. So here are the ways to make a dental appointment more tolerable:

1. Clench Your Fists, Even Before Sitting in the Dental Chair – When you clench your fists, you are in anticipation of much pain. Your muscles twitch, readying you for a painful predicament. Once you enter the dental chair, keep your fists clenched and your muscles twitched at all costs. You might be surprised that the root canal treatment isn’t as bad as what you’ve heard from your friends.

2. The Empowering Mental Chant – Chanting is a form of meditation connected to many spiritual practices. It keeps a person tranquil, in spite of the presence of distractions around. As a dental patient, you can apply the practice while the dentist operates on your teeth. In your mind, you can repeat an empowering statement like “I will never yield to a little pain” until the procedure is done. Notice how the painful operation is reduced to a minor annoyance.

3. Rebel Yell – Sometimes the only thing that makes a dental appointment unbearable is the tension that you build on yourself beforehand. Before entering the dental chair, let out a loud scream or howl. The tension will gradually disappear, which will ready your mind for the dental procedure. (Learn how to release tension)

4. Small Talk Goes a Long Way – Before the operation begins, engage the dentist in a little conversation. Get to know him or her better by telling stories and sharing some information about yourself. The dentist will then be obliged to respond with his or her own share. In the end, he or she will earn your trust, which assures you that you are in safe hands. With that peace of mind, you’ll be able to take huge amounts of pain.

5. Early Painkillers – Down a painkiller right before entering the dental clinic. Your tolerance for pain might actually surprise your dentist. Just do not apply this method when the dental procedure requires anesthesia. The painkiller might counteract the anesthetic’s numbing effect.

6. Sing Songs in Your Head – While the dentist is terrorizing you with his/her drill-like tools, sing some songs in your head. Imagine that you are on stage with the three American Idol judges in front of you. You will be too focused on the tune and lyrics to feel the pain at its full extent. (Why don’t you sing the top ten songs of all time)

7. Bring Your Date – For single men, the pressure of looking “girly” in front of your date is greater than the one generated by dental appointments. Bring your date during the operation and you will be compelled to toughen up for the most painful procedures. Just pray that tears don’t fall from your eyes at any point of the treatment.

8. Less Sleep, More Numb – Want a natural anesthetic for a painful root canal treatment? Sleep for only two or three hours the night before the operation. You will feel that you have already been injected with anesthesia even before you arrive at the dental clinic.

9. Pick a Fight – The best way to get rid of a bad tooth, without the seeing the dentist, is to pick a fight with a burly individual. Just a few jabs from your musclebound opponent will uproot your bad tooth in an instant. The truth is, winning or losing the fight does not really matter as long as it spares you from going to the dreaded dental clinic.

10. Get a Hot Dentist – If your dentist has matinee-idol looks, you will be more focused on looking good rather than the pain from the dental procedure. Chances are, you might even try to flash a smile during a painful root canal operation.

11. Focus on the Pain – Before entering the dental chair, think that you’re set to receive the greatest amount of pain in your life. Never take your mind off that expected amount, once seated. You will then realize that the pain from the operation isn’t too bad after all. (But in case you can’t bear the pain of tooth removal, learn how to get rid of wisdom teeth pain)

12. Never Look at the Dentist’s Instruments – Looking at a dentist’s set of instruments before the procedure begins is a pretty bad idea. The drills, hooks and other devices look like a mean collection of torture devices, which can double your distress during the operation.

13. Pray – While the dentist is doing a number on your teeth, you can say an intimate prayer for protection. You will then feel relieved and empowered through the painful experience. With God on your side, you know that He won’t give you something that you can’t handle.

14. Think of Your Worst Emotional Problems – Matters of the heart are usually more agonizing than physical pain. When the pain of a serious dental operation becomes unbearable, instantly remember your worst heartaches, rejections and the ones who got away. You will suddenly take the tooth-related pain as if it was a good buddy.

15. An Extra Dose of Anesthesia – Why worry about dental procedures when you can simply extra shots of anesthesia to hide the pain? Just prepare some extra cash for every additional shot that you plan to have. A double dose is usually enough to minimize the pain of the most dreaded procedures.

If there is anything scarier than ghosts, it’s probably a serious dental operation. It has struck fear into the hearts of millions of people. The fear of dental appointments is even recognized as an official phobia (dentophobia). Good thing you can brave through dental fear and pain through the options presented (For more information regarding Phobias, read The Guide To Phobias and Anxiety). Just combine some of the methods to assure yourself that you will be showing off your teeth, and not your tears, when you exit the dental clinic.