Dental Phobia

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Dental Phobia

Dental phobia, also commonly known as dental anxiety or dental fear is serious and includes the fear of needles or anaesthesia, and the often paralysing fear of seeking dental care, which can therefore lead to serious consequences for an individual’s dental health and overall well-being.

The fears that many have over visiting a dentist are often deep-seated and stem back to childhood experiences. Fortunately dentistry has come a long way in the last ten years and dentists are more sympathetic about these feelings and can help introduce a host of nerve-soothing techniques to take the fear out of a trip to a dental clinic.

Reasons for Dental Fear Factor

Negative childhood experiences :

A previous bad experience, often from childhood, is widely regarded as the most common reason why people fear a trip to the dentist. A person’s first experience may have been having a tooth removed at a young age, which still haunts them to this day. But today, thanks to huge advances in the dental industry, dentistry is virtually pain-free.

The intimate mouth: Having someone look and work inside your mouth can result in a feeling of vulnerability or you may feel that your privacy is being invaded. The mouth is an intimate place and having a dentist drill just millimetres away from an exposed nerve is enough to send anxiety levels through the roof.

Negative media images:

Certain media images of dentists, such as the film Marathon Man, only help increase our innate fears of suffering pain while conscious. Even though local anaesthetic is widely used in today’s surgeries, your imagination can run wild and exaggerate the small amount of discomfort.

How to Overcome Dental Fear

Confront your fear

The first step to overcoming your dental fear is to recognise and admit to the fear. Once you have realised that action needs to be taken you will have made the first step, as denial is often a major obstacle.

It is important to share any concerns you may have with your dentist, as the avoidance of dental treatment may lead to problems in the future, such as gum disease.

Evaluate your dentist:

Take a closer look at your dentist and dental practice, as he or she will play a crucial role in alleviating any fear you may have. Find a dental clinic that is planned and designed to be emotion-friendly, relaxing and non-frightening and search for evidence that the attitude of the dentists and their staff is supportive and encouraging.

Make use of modern techniques:

There are lots of helpful modern techniques that are available for patients nowadays, including nitrous oxide and oxygen – more popularly known as ‘happy gas’. It is commonly used for women in labour and is almost instantly reversible, meaning that the patient comes back to normal within minutes and can return to work immediately. Other methods used by some practitioners include hypnosis and acupuncture.

Get involved:

Try and involve yourself in the decision-making process during treatment. For example, have the dentist show you, with tools such as oral cameras, where the problem lies and how it will be solved. The more information about the process you understand, the more at ease your mind will become giving you more confidence.