How to Manage Your Fear of the Dentist

I had a class at UConn Dental School called “Fear and Anxiety,” precisely because a significant number of people have dental phobias. Some people would rather be anywhere but the dentist’s office.

Recently, one of my patients reported that after her wisdom teeth experience in her late teens, her fear began to compound. Her stitches broke open after the surgery, meaning some of the work had to be redone. She also had braces for four years permanently linking dental work and pain in her mind.

About one in five people have some fear of going to the dentist, often stemming from an experience or general life anxiety.  If you have some degree of dental phobia, really the first thing you should do is tell the dentist that you are afraid, and talk as specifically as you can about it. Are you afraid of the needle? Are you afraid of the sights? Are you afraid of the sounds? Is it the smells?  Is it just the environment?

The more your dental team knows, the better the plan of action can be put into effect.  Some of the best ways to cope are:

• Hand Signals: One of the best ways to cope is for the patient to try to establish control, so the patient can use hand signals or another type of method to let the dentist know when you might need a break. 
• Deep Breathing: Steady, even, deep breathing can help calm you during moments you think will be unpleasant.
• Distraction:  Listening to music through headphones, a podcast, or watching a video is very effective, and may take your mind off of the procedure altogether.
• Medication:  Some dentists offer sedation, which I don’t recommend.  However, I offer relaxation medication to be taken prior to the appointment, if necessary.

If the patient had a difficult experience in their dental history, the most important thing is to be realistic.  Despite your fears, due to modern equipment and techniques, most dental work is now relatively pain-free.  Even modern root canals are mostly just boring now, and not painful.  They just take a long time.

A small, but significant, percentage of people have an overriding dental phobia, which prevents them from getting the dental care they need.  That can have huge implications, as small problems are missed and turn into big ones.  Cavities, gum disease, early signs of oral cancer and other abnormalities in the mouth, neck or face are all on the radar during a dental exam.  For these people, keeping in mind that dental care is an important part of maintaining overall health is key to allow them to get through a visit. 

 

If you have a dental phobia, first find a dentist you trust.   Everyone in our West Hartford dental office and our New Britain dental office does their best to make every patient comfortable.  And if you practice good oral hygiene, you’ll minimize the number of procedures you might have to have.