18 Oct Overcoming Your Fear of the Dentist
Being afraid of going to the dentist creates a vicious cycle: people who fear going to the dentist won’t go often enough, resulting in even worse oral health and a greater need for dental work. The thing is, this fear is very common: much more common than you may think.
As an article in Deardoctor.com reports:
Some studies have concluded that up to 75% of people surveyed have at least a little fear about dental visits. In addition, it appears that 10%-15% of people have a great deal of fear — so much so, that it prevents them from having any dental treatment at all.
Some people avoid making an appointment because they feel slightly embarrassed while others have a downright dental phobia. Fears can come from the pain of procedures, the smell of the office, cost of treatments, and more. Whatever your reason for avoiding the dentist, know that you are not alone in your fears and dentists help patients confront their fears every day. When asked who is affected by dental phobia, Dentalfearcentral.org says, “Anyone can be affected by dental phobia! It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, a man or a woman, a janitor or a nuclear scientist, rich or poor.”
Overcoming Your Fears
There are different ways to attack this problem since there are many variations to the depth of the problem, but it is possible to overcome your fears. The first step is acknowledging them and accepting that you are not alone. Secondly, you must feel calm and safe when you go to the dentist. This might mean different things to different people. If you are afraid of the pain, for instance, Sedation Dentistry might be your saving grace. It’s also important – by all accounts – to trust your dentist. Ask questions, move at a slow pace, and let your dentist know that you are uncomfortable.
According to WebMD.com, The best dentists help their patients feel in control by using the following methods:
The body content of your post goes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own (or paste your own from a different source).
To control the color or size of this text, please change the global colors or text size under the Design section from the left menu of the editor.
They gently explain what the patient will soon feel, and for about how long.
They frequently ask the patient for permission to continue.
They give the patient the opportunity to stop the procedure at any time the patient feels uncomfortable.
They make time for breaks as requested.
At Medical Arts Dental, we go above and beyond the average dental experience to make sure our patients are comfortable at all times. We treat all our patients as friends and family members. If you have any anxiety about improving your smile, we can help you through it – at your pace.
Contact Medical Arts Dental to learn more.