If you get a little anxious thinking about going to the dentist, you’re not alone. Dental phobia keeps a lot of people from getting the care they need for their pearly whites.
There are a lot of different facets to dental phobia. Some of the most common fears involving the dentist’s office include:
- Embarassment — “I haven’t been to the dentist’s office in years, and my teeth are going to be horrible. The dentist is going to lecture me about what a failure I am.”
- Pain — “It’s going to hurt when they clean my teeth. I’ll have cavities that need drilling.”
- The drill — “Just the mention of the dentist’s drill makes me cringe. I can’t think about that high-pitched whine (and the pain it brings) without wanting to run away.”
- The gag reflex — “I’ll be so embarrassed if I gag or throw up.”
- The needle/the numbing — “The needle is going to hurt… and what if it doesn’t take action? What if I can still feel what they’re doing while I’m supposed to be numb? What if I can’t breathe while numbed?”
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s be honest — there are lots of things you COULD be afraid of at the dentist’s office. Most people don’t like pain. Most people don’t enjoy having instruments stuck into their mouths. But as difficult as the dentist’s office can be, it’s a necessary thing to keep your teeth safe and healthy.
You don’t have to suffer in silence if you experience fear at the dentist’s office!
The first thing you need to try to do is identify what it is you’re afraid of. Being afraid doesn’t make you abnormal or wimpy! Lots of people are afraid of the same things. You aren’t alone.
Once you know what it is that makes you anxious, you can talk to your dentist about it. Keeping your fear to yourself doesn’t help you — toughing it out isn’t going to make a dentist visit any easier. If your dentist understands what you’re afraid of and why, you can work together on a way to make you feel more comfortable. Maybe you just need a play-by-play of what’s going on, so nothing catches you off guard. Maybe you need to look into sedation dentistry so you can relax.
There are a lot of options to help ease dental phobia… it starts with figuring out what you’re afraid of and talking to your dentist about it.