Dental phobia and fear of the dentist for nervous patients

Dental phobia is a serious condition that affects a large proportion of the population that do not regularly see a dentist. Many people are so fearful or anxious about attending the dentist that they let their oral health suffer as a result of this. Many dentists report that anxious patients often have problems with their gums with infection and chronic gum disease being commonplace amongst anxious patients. It is important to see a dentist regularly so that they can assess and deal with potential problems before they occur and get to a state where it is irreversible (gum disease), painful (dental abscess) or expensive. With modern dentistry there are many techniques and methods to help overcome your anxieties and make your dental experience comfortable and even enjoyable!

Why are people phobic or fearful of the dentist ?
There are several reasons why people are phobic about visiting the dentist, it may be something as simple as the clinical smell of a dental practice that puts people off or a previous bad experience that has scarred an individual for life, below are a few reasons why you may be phobic about visiting the dentist. Rest assured that you are not alone and there are many millions of people that suffer from dental phobia.

• Previous negative experience – you may have had a bad experience in the past that has put you off going to the dentist. This may be due to a painful procedure, a phobia of needles or even a personality conflict with a dentist or dental staff.


• Embarrassed about your oral health and the condition of your teeth and gums - you may have neglected your oral health and your teeth over the years and are embarrassed about visiting your dentist for fear of what they might think or say to you. Many people fear that their dentist will ridicule or belittle them


• You may have a fear of dental instruments being placed in your mouth, this may trigger a gag reflex or cause an anxious feeling where you find it difficult to breathe.


• Unsympathetic dentists – you may have had an experience with a dentist that was not sympathetic to your needs and concerns and this has put you off going back to see a dentist.


• You may have a fear due to the stereotype cast about dentists on the TV in the press or my friends and family. If you haven’t been to a dentist before it may simply be a fear of the unknown.

You may fall into one of the categories above, have several reasons for your dental phobia but the first step you can make in overcoming this fear is to accept that you have a fear and knowledge that something can be done about it. There are several ways in which many phobic dentists will try to help you overcome your anxieties, which include:

1. Communicating your fears and concerns – a dentist that is a good listener can go a long way towards reliving your anxieties. It is important that you can talk about your fears and concerns with your dentist openly and feel comfortable doing this. If you find that either the dentist or the staff are not sympathetic towards your concerns you should seek a dentist that is.


2. A full explanation of the procedures involved – often something as simple as your dentist explaining how the procedure that you will undergo will be carried out step by step and giving you the opportunity for you to ask questions will relive that fear of the known. It is important that your dentist explains things in a non-technical, easy to understand language.

3. Try to be open and honest with your dentist if you feel embarrassed about the condition of your teeth or your lack of previous dental care. Most dentists will have seen many cases of dental neglect probably seen teeth that are in a worse state than yours. The important thing is that you are making a step in the right direction to resolve the issue.

4. Relaxation and distraction techniques – many dentists offer distraction and relaxation techniques such as an aromatherapy massage, hypnotherapy relaxing music, virtual vision DVD goggles and burning scented candles or oils to mask any clinical dental smells.

5. Using a pain free injection technique – before giving an injection your dentist can apply a numbing gel (topical anaesthetic) to your gums. Giving the injection slowly reduces the pressure and causes less pain. Some dentists use a local anaesthetic delivery system called “The Wand” which delivers the local anaesthetic slowly via a computerised system and it doesn’t look like a syringe. Some dentists will talk to you whilst giving the injection to distract you from the anxiety of having an injection.


6. Sedation, both oral and or intravenous sedative medication can be used to put you in a relaxed dream-like state of mind. Sedation is an effective treatment for very anxious patients.

Dental Phobia and Anxiety Support