DENTAL FEARS

Dental fear is a term used to describe fear, anxiety or stress in a dental

setting. Being scared to visit the dentist can result in delaying or avoiding
dental treatment.
Dental anxiety can be associated with certain triggers such as needles,
drills or the dental setting in general.

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 Common Dental Fears
• embarrassment and shame
• fear of not having control
• fear of not getting numb
• fear of choking or gagging
• fear of allergic reactions
• fear of unnecessary treatment
• fear of not being able to cope with the news of what needs to be
done
Dental anxiety can be caused by:
• a traumatic dental experience or other healthcare experience(s)
• previous trauma to the head and neck
• other traumatic experiences, including abuse
• generalised anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder
• the view that the mouth is a personal area and accessing the mouth
is an invasion of personal space
• fear of loss of control
• trust issues
• Most (though by no means all) dental fears and phobias are caused
by previous bad experiences with dentists or dental treatment
• Fear of the dentist – A lot of people are afraid to get dental
treatments because they fear the actual dentist. This may be
because of a bad experience in the past or because they feel that
dentists don’t mind causing pain. Getting over this type of fear is as
easy as familiarizing yourself with the dentist. Before you go to a
dentist for treatment, get acquainted with him or her and explain
your problem. A good dentist should be able to gain your trust and
help you realize that he or she only wants to help you.
• Fear of pain – Some people might have undergone a painful dental
experience in the past, resulting in their fear of the pain. It’s true
that some dental procedures may be painful, but you also have a
number of options to reduce the discomfort. There are several
products, such as numbing gels and anesthetics, which could be
helpful.
• Fear of the drill – Many people are afraid of the dental drill or even
other dental tools. For some people, even just the sound of the drill
could result in a serious anxiety spell. The best way you can deal with
this issue is through distraction and exposure. Discuss your fear with
the dentist and request them to help you get familiar with the drill or
any other dental tool. You could try holding the equipment while it’s
running so that you can see how there’s nothing to fear about. In
addition to this, bring your iPod or phone along so you can drown
out the drilling sound using music.
People often use the terms dental anxiety, fear and phobia to mean
the same thing, but it is not the same.
Dental anxiety is a reaction to a potential, anticipated danger . Most
people have some degree of dental anxiety, especially if they’re facing
a procedure which is new to them. Often, it’s a fear of the unknown –
the “uncertainty factor”
Dental fear tends to be far more specific. If somebody has a fear, they
can usually tell you what exactly it is they’re scared of . Common
examples include needles, pain, gagging or being humiliated. If you
have a lot of different dental fears, pinpointing them can become a
little overwhelming. But you should be able to identify them with
some prompting.
If you have a dental phobia, the terror you feel is so strong that you
avoid the dentist until either the physical pain or the emotional burden
of the phobia becomes overwhelming. Some people, for various
reasons, may still attend a dentist. But they will endure these
encounters with intense fear or anxiety.
There are many ways to help people manage dental anxiety or phobia. It
is important to let the dentist know if you experience any level of dental
anxiety. Open discussion around the individual triggers of anxiety can
help the dentist work with you to tailor a treatment plan for you.

Some coping techniques that can assist some individuals include:

• deep breathing
• meditation
• distraction (such as listening to music or the use of screens)
• guided imagery
• progressive muscle relaxation
• hypnosis.
Dental phobia can have wide-ranging effects on your life. Not only can
your dental health suffer, but dental phobia may lead to anxiety and
depression. Laughing out loud may be out of the question – too hard to
hide one’s teeth…
Depending on how noticeable the damage is, you may avoid meeting
people, even close friends. Or you may turn down jobs which involve
contact with the public.
There may even be times when you’re in so much pain that you can’t
even leave the house. Many dental phobics will put up with terrible pain
to avoid having to face their greatest fear.
• The lifestyle factors that lead to dental disease are very similar to
those that lead to diabetes, obesity, heart disease, stroke and some
cancers, so taking care of your oral and general health is very
important. Nowadays, dentistry is very progressive, so you can get
good and painless procedures.