Getting Over The Fear of Dentists?

Answer 1

Dental fear is relatively common, sometimes associated with dentists in particular, the dentist office, or any dental procedure that occurs there. While it may be true that some dental procedures are painful and certainly uncomfortable, irrational dental fear can impede proper care and lead to poor dental health. Working through dental fear is important, and in fact, can be quite easy to do.

First of all, look back on dental experiences that cause the anxiety of visiting the dentist. If the central thread is a specific dentist, then perhaps switching to a different dentist is the answer. However, making this judgment takes serious evaluation; starting a pattern of visiting a dentist and then switching to a different one indicates that the problem isn’t the dentist at all.

If dental fear comes up because of certain procedures, such as extractions or deep cleaning, then talking to the dentist or someone at the dentist office is a smart thing to do. Expressing anxiety is perfectly fine, and sometimes the worst mistake a patient can make is not telling someone involved in the process that they feel upset, fearful, anxious, or uncomfortable.

Another option is to consider a dentist office that specializes in working with clients that have dental fear of varying degrees. Doing so sets up a relationship where the client can easily express what bothers them, and the dentist can negotiate and guide the patient through the necessary procedures will still maintaining a healthy comfort level.

Pain is to be expected with some procedures, as is an uncomfortable feeling. However, many procedures require sedation of some kind, which almost always cures anxiety. Often, patients will express afterward that they wish all dental procedures could be conducted with some kind of sedation. In fact, consulting with the dentist and a personal doctor can mean one or two time doses of sedatives even for procedures that don’t generally require them.

In overcoming dental fear, the most essential point is communication between the individual, the dentist, and in some cases the dentist’s office and a personal doctor. Talking out what causes the dental fear might be embarrassing at first, but it’s certainly worth it.