How To Deal With The Fear Of The Dentist In Treatments
Oral health is widely considered to be one of the most important aspects of our overall health. However, perhaps just as prevalent is the fear of the dentist. This common fear can stem from a range of emotions related to concerns about your oral health, as well as potential bad experiences you may have had at the dentist during your youth.
But, for some people, these fears can come in the form of dentophobia (also called odontophobia). Like other phobias, this is defined as an extreme or irrational fear of objects, situations or people - in this case, dentophobia is the extreme fear of going to the dentist.
Given the importance of oral care to your overall health, fear of the dentist shouldn't stop you from getting regular checkups and cleanings. Still, it's not easy for anyone with a fear to simply go to the dentist.
Here we will discuss possible underlying causes as well as treatments and coping mechanisms that can be a starting point to help you conquer your fear of the dentist.
Fears and phobias are often discussed interchangeably, but these two states of mind have some striking differences between them. A fear can be a strong aversion that can cause avoidance, but it's not necessarily something you should think about until what you fear appears.
On the other hand, the phobia is a much stronger form of fear. Phobias are considered a type of anxiety disorder and are known to cause extreme distress and avoidance - so much so that they interfere with your daily life.
Another feature of the phobia is that it is not something that is likely to actually harm you, but you can't help feeling that it will.
When applied to the context of going to the dentist, being scared can mean that you don't like going and put off appointments until necessary. You may not like the feel and sounds of instruments used during cleanings and other procedures, but you tolerate them anyway.
By comparison, dentophobia can present a fear so strong that you avoid the dentist altogether. Even the mere mention or thought of the dentist can cause anxiety. Nightmares and panic attacks may also occur.
The causes and treatment of fear of the dentist and dentophobia may be similar. However, a legitimate dentist phobia can take more time and work to deal with.
Fear of the dentist is usually caused by previous negative experiences. You may have been afraid of the dentist as a child, and those feelings stayed with you as you grew up.
Some people are also afraid of the noises of the tools that dentists and dental hygienists use to clean teeth and perform examinations, so thinking about it can also cause some fears.
By definition, a phobia is an extreme fear. This could also be linked to a negative experience in the past. Perhaps you experienced pain, discomfort, or a general lack of empathy in a dentist's office, and this created a significant aversion to seeing another dentist in the future.
In addition to fears and phobias linked to previous experiences, it is also possible to feel afraid of a dentist because of concerns you may have about your oral health. Maybe you have a toothache or bleeding gums, or maybe you just haven't been to the dentist for several months or years and are afraid of getting bad news.
Any of these concerns could make you avoid going to the dentist.
Moderate fear of going to the dentist is best remedied by going to the dentist rather than avoiding it. In the case of significant dental work, you can ask to be sedated so you don't wake up during the procedure. Although it is not common practice in all offices, you can find a dentist who can accommodate your sedation wishes.