Fear Of Dentist

Did you know that an estimated 10 per cent of the population have an exaggerated fear of going to the dentist, whilst 5 percent of people have severe dental phobia! After spiders and heights, it is the third most common phobia.

As mentioned before dental anxiety is unique to each patient and may affect you in a variety of different ways. Fortunately the dental industry has vastly advanced over the last 10 years and can offer you advanced and pain free technology to treat any dental concerns you may have. If you haven't been to the dentist for a long time you might be pleasantly surprised with the technology and techniques we have to offer.

Between 5% and 8% of Americans avoid dentists out of fear, estimates Peter Milgrom, DDS, director of the Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington in Seattle and author of Treating Fearful Dental Patients. A higher percentage, perhaps 20%, experiences enough anxiety that they will go to the dentist only when absolutely necessary, Milgrom tells WebMD.

During the planning stages- there are essentially two treatment plans to consider. One is the plan for the dental treatment you need to make your mouth healthy, pain-free and to improve your smile etc. The second is the plan for what can be done to reduce your anxiety to allow this treatment to take place. It may take a few visits and some discussion to work out what will suit you the most for each of these plans. Once we know exactly what dental treatment you require, and you know about all of the anxiety management options available for you to choose from, we will be able to move forward and achieve your goals. It is our goal to make the entire process of having dental treatment as easy as possible for you. Your appointments and treatment will always be paced to suit you and how you feel.

Don't despair! Whatever is preventing you from feeling relaxed and confident at the dentist can be dealt with. By combining the wonderfully relaxing and calming effects of hypnosis with NLP and cognitive thought processes you will be amazed how quickly you make the change you need so that fear will never hold you back again.

One way of finding a supportive dentist is to ask around - you may be able to get a recommendation from a friend or family member. Alternatively, you could find out which dentists in your area specialise in treating people with anxiety. Most dentist clinics have websites that may say they specialise in treating people who are nervous or phobic. If you feel able, phone the practice to find out more and to explain your worries. For more information, see our frequently asked questions.

Just do it! Noone likes going to the dentist - just went myself today to be told some ancient fillings need a bit of maintenance. Not looking forward to it, but will have it done because better to have some preventative work than wait until I'm in agony. I don't know how old you are, but I know the roots (forgive the pun) of my fear lie in the 1970s unanaesthetised dentistry I remember as a child. It's not like that today - that's why you should definitely try to avoid letting your phobia pass on to your little boy.

Nonpharmacological choices include noise canceling headphones, video on demand at the chair, relaxation music, a warm blanket, aromatherapy, homeopathic remedies for dental treatment, a relaxed environment, pleasing fragrances or relaxing essential oils, acupuncture or acupressure, distraction, desensitization, mental imaging, breathing exercises, a TENS unit, biofeedback, bite block, warm or cold gel packs, self-hypnosis, and reflexology, to name a few.

We know and understand that visits can be emotionally draining for the patient and that is why all appointments are scheduled with plenty of time to perform the procedures at a relaxed pace and allowing for plenty of breaks, taking the pressure of both patient and doctor and stop signs are discussed before any treatment commences in order for the patient to know that any kind of discomfort, however mild, the whole team will be aware that a time out for the patient is needed.

Of course, some phobias are deeply ingrained. In these sorts of cases, it could be worth considering more carefully your choice of dentist. There are many practices available nowadays in the UK that specialise in treating dental phobic patients. Their dentists are specially trained and they use the latest technology to offer a ‘pain free' approach to dentistry. For example, they may offer to treat you while under light sedation, which many phobic patients find acceptable.

Strictly speaking a phobia is more than just a fear and to be fair most people who have a fear of going to the dentist don't have the full impact of a phobia. That's doesn't mean that the fear that comes when you think about the dentist is not severe or debilitating, it just means that there's a spectrum of fear and people are spread across that spectrum as opposed to being all jammed up at one end.

Those with dental anxiety will have a sense of uneasiness when it's time for their appointments. They'll have exaggerated or unfounded worries or fears. Dental phobia is a more serious condition. It's an intense fear or dread. People with dental phobia aren't merely anxious. They are terrified or panic stricken.

If your fear of the dentist stems from a fear of needles, then your needle phobia can also be treated by hypnotherapy and gradual exposure, whilst relaxed, first to the idea of needles and then to photographs, and slowly working up to real exposure. If however you have ever fainted or lost consciousness after an injection or blood text, then this may be a medical condition known as vasovagal reflex reaction, where the blood pressure drops very quickly. It is not dangerous, and can be avoided by having the blood test or injection whilst lying down - but people who have experienced this often learn to dread needles. You can still safely use hypnotherapy to deal with your fear of needles.

Well as we all know biggest fear of an individual is going for dental check up because of it's rumors that causes one's fear. Dentist are scary to look at but very gentle most especially when caring with their clients, they have this unique way on how to lay down alternatives to relieve one's fear.

We have worked hard to create a relaxing environment and are committed to providing you with a pleasurable, stress-free experience. If you do have a phobia of going to the dentist or you are worried about injections or a particular procedure, then please do not hesitate to give us a call to discuss the services we have on offer such as Waterlase dentistry.