How to get rid of your fear of the dentist

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

In a guest article, Julia Clouda, the head of a resource on dentistry, talks about what dentophobia is and gives advice on how to overcome yourself and stop being afraid of going to a dental clinic.

How to stop being afraid of a dentist in panic? "No way!" - many patients will answer, especially those who have found Soviet dentistry, and, perhaps, they will immediately drink four hundred drops of valerian.

Sometimes it seems that we absorb the fear of dentists with mother's milk, through which the memory of dental treatment without anesthesia, inoperative anesthesia and doctors who are not burdened with excessive politeness or patience is transmitted. However, times have finally changed … Or not?

Is fear of dentists a disease?

Yes, anxiety about dentists is a disease called dentophobia, odontophobia or stomatophobia. The command "Pull yourself together, rag, there will be anesthesia!" in this case, nothing will help. A person suffering from such a disease simply cannot cross the threshold of the dental office, even when the toothache becomes completely unbearable.

It is important to distinguish between the usual anxiety before the visit to the doctor and anxiety. If your anxiety gives way to the arguments of reason, then you do not have an illness.

If, at the very thought of dental treatment, blood pressure jumps to unknown heights, a violent heartbeat begins, you cannot follow even the simplest instructions of a doctor, then you have dentophobia.

Alas, you can't hide from dental problems. Caries and tooth loss are fraught with gastrointestinal diseases, migraines, and even scoliosis. In addition, prevention is not only much less painful, but also cheaper than serious treatment. So what should dentophobes do?

Where does fear come from?

Of course, each dentophobe has its own reasons for the appearance of a phobia. Sometimes it is possible to cope with the disease only with the help of a psychotherapist. However, in general, two groups of the most common causes of dentophobia can be distinguished.

Fear from the past

Many patients managed to find Soviet dentistry. Those who treated their teeth as children were especially vivid impressions. Many people still remember how they were held in four hands while the doctor drilled out caries without anesthesia.

The adults' treatment was no better. The main anesthetic was the word "Be patient!" It is the deeply rooted belief that dentistry is always a hell of a pain that forces people to avoid dentists for years.

Fear of the doctor's reaction

The second most common reason is the unwillingness to find yourself in the position of a child again, who is scolded by an adult for a neglected condition of the teeth. The patient is afraid that the doctor will sharply express his dissatisfaction with poor dental care. Ultimately, it is a fear of humiliation, which makes you endure pain and difficulty chewing food, just not to go to the doctor.

Two ways to take the first step to the dentist

Of course, it is quite difficult to overcome panic fear, but there are two ways that will help a dentophobe, if not defeat fear, then at least make sure that modern dentistry is not as terrible as it seems to him.

Knowledge is power

One of the most powerful ways to overcome fear rooted in the past is to learn how modern dental clinics work. Today, doctors always offer the patient an injection of pain reliever and use proven safe drugs for this.

Modern diagnostic and treatment tools make it possible not only quickly, but also painlessly to solve any problem.

In addition, dentists communicate with patients correctly and patiently, because they know that psychological comfort increases the success of treatment.

Doctor's politeness

Today, you can completely fearlessly tell the dentist that the treatment scares you. The cause of your fear will be given the same attention as your dental problems, the right doctor will be selected, and several options for dealing with anxiety will be offered.

How to forget about fear: psychology and medicine are in a hurry to help

Psychological techniques

The methods of dealing with dentophobia depend on how strong your fear is. For many patients, it is enough to get carried away with something to dull the fear or even go away. For example, in a doctor's office, television panels are sometimes installed above the chair. During the procedure, the patient watches a pleasant film or entertainment program, distracting from the treatment.

For the same purpose, they use media glasses or headphones with music that drowns out the drill. If possible, then it is replaced with a laser. The mere absence of a drill calms many anxious patients.

In addition, some dentists sometimes have spa treatments before a doctor's appointment. Light massages, aromatherapy, pleasant herbal teas and relaxing music often help patients overcome increased anxiety.

Medical tricks

However, sometimes dentophobia is so severe that fear overshadows all attempts to distract. Then the doctors offer the patient a medication solution - this is either dental treatment under general anesthesia (aka anesthesia), or in a state of sedation. What's the difference?

Sedation allows the patient to communicate with the doctor, follow directions, and answer questions. But at the same time, the patient is peaceful and relaxed. Anxieties, worries and fears are completely smoothed out.

Sedation is much easier for most patients than anesthesia. Moreover, if there are several problem teeth, then with the help of sedation, you can carry out a complete treatment of all of them, thereby reducing the number of visits to the doctor.

Anesthesia, or general anesthesia, is an extreme measure that is used in cases where even sedation does not help the patient to cope with fear. Anesthesia is used if the condition of the oral cavity requires very extensive treatment, since this is a complex type of pain relief, which can have serious consequences.

What is the bottom line?

Modern dentistry does everything to ensure that patients with dentophobia can efficiently and easily cure their teeth.

A few simple guidelines can also help combat fear:

• carefully choose the clinic where you will be treated;
• find a regular doctor you will get used to;
• professional hygiene at least once every six months will protect your teeth from, and you - from the drill.

Also remember to brush your teeth twice a day, use dental floss and mouthwash. Then you will not be afraid of caries, just like a dentist!