Overcoming a fear of the dentist, or odontophobia, is incredibly important if you want to maintain your oral hygiene and avoid having serious health problems in the future. You may be pleased to learn that fear of the dentist is actually surprisingly common – affecting 20% of the population worldwide.
Most people’s fear of the dentist doesn’t stop them from visiting the dentist when problems arise but it does stop them when going in for regular check-ups – which increases the likelihood of actual problems occurring. For some though dental phobia is so severe that they will not visit the dentist under any circumstances – and will often result to extreme measures to fix their own dental issues.
In either case various techniques and therapies can be used to overcome dental phobia.
Visiting the dentist regularly is the best way to keep your oral hygiene under control – and is one of the best ways to stop you having fears; as regular visits to the dentist promote good oral hygiene. This means a lower likelihood of,root canals or other invasive oral surgery.
What are the most common dental Phobias?
Dental phobia covers a broad range of specific fears and anxiety causes. The most common reasons for dental anxiety are:
- Fear of Pain
This is one of the most common cited reasons for dental anxiety as we all have natural aversions to pain.
- Fear of Losing Control
For many of us we fear the lack of control whilst we are in the dental chair. We feel uncomfortable in a chair whilst someone stands over us. This fear is often rooted in deeper control problems.
- Fear of Embarrassment
Many of us don’t take the care we would like with our oral hygiene. We feel socially embarrassed by a range of problems including bad breath, cavities, and tooth discoloration. These are often more mild forms of dental anxiety but can be a symptom of phobia.
- Previous Negative Experiences
Previous experiences of pain, poor treatment, embarrassment, or a personality clash with a dentist can all create an anxiety of visiting another. These are often mild symptoms that can develop into phobias if left unchecked.
These are the most common causes of both dental anxiety and dental phobia but there can be other underlying causes. Either way these issues can be tackled head on with a variety of techniques. We will deal with anxiety and phobia separately. If you cannot cure your phobias with any of the anxiety techniques then it will be worth seeking treatment for phobia.
Dental anxiety can often be quickly overcome using some or all of the techniques below:
- Talking to A Dentist
Dentists are human beings just like us and talking to, and getting to know, your dentist can actually help alleviate anxiety considerably. Dentists are used to anxiety and will do everything in their power to make you as relaxed and comfortable as possible.
If you are worried about booking an appointment you can arrange to have a phone call with your dentist to discuss ways you could be made to relax. These might include having regular breaks, only having a brief first treatment or just having a face to face meet and great. You can also discuss using the options below to help alleviate your anxiety.
- Distraction Techniques
Distraction techniques serve to let your mind focus on other things whilst you have your treatment. This can be something simple like having a nurse to talk to you, having your favourite songs on an mp3 player or having a stress ball to squeeze in your hands. These help to relax you whilst you have an appointment.
- Breathing Techniques
Breathing techniques also help your brain relax and distract you. They can be used in conjunction with other techniques to keep you calm. The simplest breathing exercises simply involve breathing in through your nose slowly and exhaling through your mouth or nose equally slowly. It is a great idea to count your breathing so that you can keep a regular rhythm – this helps slow the heart rate and keeps your mind calm.
- Phobia
If the above techniques don’t help your fear of the dentist then you will want to seek additional treatments. These can take more time to benefit you but have very strong long term success rates.
- Online Support Groups
There are a wide variety of online support groups that join people together to discuss their dental phobias and treatments. If you’d like to avoid professional therapy then these can be a god place to start seeking help. We’d recommend taking part in forums such as Dental Fear Central where you can receive anonymous support from fellow odontophobes.
- Therapy
In severe cases of dental phobia seeking professional therapy is a very positive step. Dental phobia is common enough that there actually exists specialists in the field across the globe. However, traditional therapy can help get to the underlying causes of dental phobia and begin to treat them. Consult your local doctor for advice and help matching you with a suitable therapist. You may not know this, but you may be able to receive online therapy for free.
- Sedation
If none of the above techniques work then you can have sedation for any courses of treatment you may require. This means that you will essentially sleep throughout your treatment. This can be specially arranged through certain dental practices or, in some cases, via other medical institutions.
Whichever technique works for you we wish you the best in overcoming your dental anxiety.