Few individuals love visiting the dentist, but for other people, just the sound of the dental drill is enough to give them the chills.
You are not alone if visiting the dentist causes your body to go into panic mode. Dentophobia, more generally known as dental fear, affects a lot of people. It’s crucial not to let your fear prevent you from receiving the care you require, though.
Misinformation
Various myths about dentists cause a lot of people to fear them.
Many individuals expect specific dental treatments, including extractions or root canals, to be incredibly painful.
While this may have been true in the past, modern technology and anaesthesia can make your dental visits comfortable and even painless.
Additionally, some children learn from their parents’ language to fear the dentist as they grow up.
When their kids misbehave, some parents jokingly threaten to take them to the dentist, while others claim that their kids’ teeth will fall out if they don’t clean them.
Even though it’s important to emphasize the value of good dental health, there are ways to do so without creating anxiety.
Your children may relate to these remarks and begin to associate the dentist with fear. There are several strategies you may use to get your kids excited about going to the dentist.
Previous encounters
Past traumatic events might make us frightened of anything.
Many people avoid certain situations because of terrible experiences they had as children.
Please talk to your dentist if you have unpleasant emotions stemming from your encounters. Tell them your tale and how you feel. To enable you to receive the necessary dental care, they will make every effort to make you as comfortable as possible.
Fear of needles
Both children and adults frequently have a phobia of needles. The dread that the needle will go inside your mouth can greatly increase.
You need a local anaesthetic provided through injection if you want a pain-free, relaxing dental session.
Numerous dentists may initially massage a numbing lotion into your gums to lessen the discomfort of the needle. Many individuals claim they didn’t even feel the needle when using this gel.
Phobia of sounds
Drills, beeps, and occasionally even children sobbing can be heard as soon as you enter a dental clinic.
Please consider using headphones if the sounds of the dentist’s office make you uneasy. Most dentists don’t mind if you use headphones the entire time you have a check-up or operation.
To keep you coming back often, we want you to feel as at ease as possible.
Perceived loss of control
For many who avoid going to the dentist, lying back on the dental chair is the ultimate loss of control.
Ask your dentist to adjust the chair or add extra support to make you more comfortable to help you overcome this phobia (real or imagined).
Breathing problems
Breathing issues can occur in certain dental patients, particularly during lengthy dental operations. This could make you feel anxious and claustrophobic. Breathing problems can be put to rest (not quite literally) with anything from nitrous oxide to other breathing aids.
Robert Haynes did his degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. He is interested in mental health and well-being.
