Do the words “visiting the dentist” make you fearful? If it does, you’re not alone. On any given day, over 40 million Americans will do their best to postpone or avoid any type of dental visit because of dental anxiety and dental phobia.
When this fear prevents you from regularly seeing a dentist, it also increases your chance for gum disease, early tooth loss, and it can ultimately negatively impact your overall health.
Most of us understand that semi-annual preventative dental care, like check-ups and teeth cleanings, is the best way to proactively lower the risk of serious dental conditions, and to also avoid more costly dental treatments from popping up. It sounds good in theory, but what if your dental fears stop you from doing this?
The First Step
If fears are preventing you from visiting the dentist, a first step is to determine whether you suffer from dental anxiety or dental phobia. These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they’re actually quite different.
Dental Anxiety or Dental Phobia?
Not all dental fears are the same. When you have dental anxiety, you may feel uneasy about an upcoming appointment. You experience a heightened worry, or fear about something that may happen.
If you have dental phobia, you experience an acute fear or dread; you’re not merely anxious, you’re terrified.
The spectrum of anxiety and phobia can run from feeling tense, or unable to sleep before an appointment, to refusing to go to a dentist for any reason. While most patients with dental anxiety experience a temporary period of stress that goes away once their dental procedure begins, patients with dental phobia may require more intense intervention.
What’s Causing Your Dental Fear?
What’s at the root of your fear? Discovering this can help you better navigate through your dental aversion. While we’re unique individuals, with different experiences, there are some common causes of dental fear. If you can pinpoint your fear, you’ll have a better chance of coping with your dental fears.
- Unpleasant dental experience during childhood.
- Fear of pain or injections.
- Dislike of feeling helpless, and not in control.
- Feeling embarrassment about teeth.
- Discomfort with the loss of personal space boundaries.
Overcoming Dental Fears & Anxiety
The best way to help you through your dental anxiety or phobia is to talk about it with our dental care team when you schedule a time to visit us. When we’re aware of your fears, we will work with you to create an experience that helps make you feel less anxious and more comfortable. This may include a combination of tips to reduce anxiety, sedation dentistry, as well as a clear walking you all the steps involved in your dental procedure, so that you have a better understanding of what to expect and can feel that you have control.
Depending on your level of anxiousness, Dr. Kyle may suggest some form of sedation dentistry to help enhance your dental experience. If you suffer from mild dental anxiety, he may recommend nitrous oxide, which may be enough to lower your stress. And if your anxiety is more severe, other dental sedation options will be discussed. Should your fear of dentists be serious enough to prevent you from coming in for routine dental visits, or should it create panic attacks, he can also help you find a licensed therapist to talk about it.
When you are better aware of your dental fears, and are able to express these fears to us, we can provide you with a more positive, friendlier, dental experience.
Tell us that you have fears, and we’ll strive to provide you with extra TLC. Your dental fears don’t need to prevent you from having a healthy, beautiful smile – Please call us at (206) 242-0066 to schedule your visit, or reach out to us online!