If you have anxiety about going to the dentist, the very words “dentist’s office” can cause your skin to crawl. The sound of a drill powering on makes you nauseous. Your head spins when you think about cold, metal instruments hitting your teeth and gums. How do you overcome dentist anxiety?
Overcoming Dentist Anxiety
Complications
Not going to the dentist is so much worse than simply biting the bullet and going. The kinds of complications that can occur as a result of improper dental hygiene are numerous and unsettling. Gum disease can lead to an increase in risk for heart attack, stroke and other types of illness. In short, you don’t want to avoid the dentist.
How can you get over an irrational fear, though? It’s not like you think the dentist is going to try to hurt you on purpose. You’re logically aware that the dentist is only going to try to help your oral health. However, that doesn’t stop you from not wanting to go.
Causes
Many people have a fear of the dentist due to prior experiences being negative. Botched procedures, painful dental surgeries and unfortunate mishaps can all contribute. Some people with PTSD also find it very difficult to relax in the dentist’s chair, whether they are veterans or survivors of abuse.
Dentists who operate carelessly can inadvertently cause phobia. Many careless dentists will simply assume everyone has the same pain tolerance and won’t do enough to ensure the patient is comfortable. As such, many dentist phobics feel the way they do due to lack of control when in the chair.
People with strong wills who hate being out of control of a situation will experience the strongest dental anxiety. These are usually people who are made nervous by the idea of being sedated or operated on, as well.
Dentists Who Accommodate
The issue of dental anxiety is so prevalent that many dentist’s offices accommodate those who experience it. They will take steps to make sure patients are comfortable and don’t feel like they’re going to be hurt. Often, these dentists learned such techniques from operating with small children.
If there are no such dentists in your area, consider contacting a local dentist direcly. Tell them that you experience a dentist phobia and would like to ask them if they might be able to accommodate your specific situation. If they aren’t, don’t be afraid to be assertive. Don’t let them do anything or start any procedures that you don’t like.