Dental anxiety: nobody loves going to the dentists

Dental fear is more common than you might think: up to 90% of patients we see show some degree of dental anxiety.

The severity of this fear can vary: it may be anxiety or even ,what we would call, a phobia.

A fear of going to the dentist

A simple fear is fairly normal and can range from nervousness about going to the dentist to being scared of needles.

Dental anxiety

Dental anxiety is a bit more than a general fear. One might start worrying about a dentist appointment days ahead, you can’t sleep, and a lot of angst builds up.

Dental phobia

A phobia is an unreasonable fear that is clearly visible to a dentist. It can display as whole body shaking and a jittery voice. It’s hard for them to even sit down in the dental chair.

On the scale of dental anxiety and fear, there are a range of causes.

Traumatic experiences are right up there, this is often relevant for people later in life, due to past dentistry practices. People have shared stories about being held down with a knee on their chest while going through tooth extractions. Luckily, we have come a long way from there.

There are other causes though, some much more subtle.

Sitting in a chair, being quite restricted and having someone lean over you can give people a sense of invasion of their personal space and loss of control.

Additionally, people find going to the dentist generally unpleasant or they feel embarrassed about what’s going on. People often mention not liking the noises, having trust issues, not liking the thought of unexpected pain or having a general fear of dental equipment.

For anyone that has some level of dental anxiety, it’s important to prepare yourself for your next visit. Your dentist visit isn’t something you should put off for long, as it often results in more lengthy and complicated treatment later down the track.

There are a few things you can do to help yourself:

• Inform yourself of the treatment required. Knowledge is power.
• Be prepared by letting your dentist know how you feel .
• Know what works for you; headphones, music, meditation are all great ways to keep yourself calm.

Most of all, find a dentist you can trust; do your research by looking online for reviews about their behavior towards past patients. We have put together an article on what your dentist SHOULD do if you have anxiety to make your experience better.

For more information read our blog Working with you rather than on you or call us.