For many people, going to the dentist is synonymous with physical and economic suffering. Many have a real dread of this doctor. If you suffer from dental phobia or your fears prevent you from going to the dentist regularly for checkups, then you need to overcome the fear by identifying the underlying causes and strengthening your confidence with positive experiences in the doctor's office.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Understanding Fear
Step 1. Understand that your fear is completely normal
There is no reason to be ashamed of your fears. Many people around the world share this phobia. However, it shouldn't stop you from taking care of your dental health as it may impact your overall health and ability to socialize.
- Most doctors recommend going to the dentist twice a year to maintain proper oral hygiene.
- If you do not go to the dentist regularly, cavities can develop, abscesses, teeth can fall out or break and you may have bad breath. Some of these disorders could harm your social relationships.
Step 2. List your specific fears
Some individuals are reluctant to admit their dental phobias. In order to overcome them, however, you must write a list of what makes you anxious about going to this doctor's office.
- You may not even be fully aware of your specific fears until you start thinking about them. Eventually you may realize that it is not the procedures that scare you, but your dentist himself. This problem is easily overcome by relying on the care of another professional.
- Take the list to the doctor and discuss your phobias with him. He will be able to offer you rational explanations for what triggers your fears.
Step 3. Try to find the cause
The feeling of fear is often built through experience or memory. If you identify the source of your dental phobia then you can draw up a proactive action plan to overcome it.
- Think about the specific experiences that helped develop your fear of the dentist and try to contrast them with positive events that help you put yourself in the right mood and overcome fears. For example, if you have had a devitalization surgery or a particularly painful tooth decay, think about those episodes in which the dentist complimented you on your oral hygiene or those completely painless procedures, so as to eliminate the fear.
- If you are unable to think of a specific experience as the source of your phobia, then this could be generated by the memory or generalized fear that people feel towards the dentist; for example, you may have heard gruesome tales of dental interventions from your friends or family.
- Thinking about what generated the fear allows you to gradually overcome it. Sometimes, simple awareness is all it takes to get rid of phobias.
Step 4. Realize that dental procedures have improved dramatically
Before proceeding with concrete actions and going to your dentist's office to overcome the fear, you should know that the healing techniques have improved a lot in recent years. Gone are the days of medieval drills and large needles for anesthesia. Understanding all of this allows you to ease your fears.
- There are many new methods to treat dental problems such as cavities. There are drills equipped with a button to stop the action at any time and even laser tools that eliminate infected parts.
- Many dentists furnish their surgeries by giving a less "hospital" look to the environment, using soft colors and eliminating the typical odor of the dental office.
Part 2 of 3: Finding a Dentist
Step 1. Find the right doctor for you
The dentist is the person who sets the atmosphere and tones of your entire visit. If he is not welcoming and kind, but tends to be very cold and aloof, then it will only exacerbate your fears. Finding the right professional is of great help in overcoming dental phobia.
- Do your best to find a good doctor by asking friends and family for advice. Nobody will recommend a dentist they are not comfortable with.
- You can also read reviews online or in specialized newspapers and magazines.
Step 2. Schedule a visit to the dental clinic
Make an appointment with your potential trusted dentist to find out if it's the right one for you. Meet several professionals and discuss your fears with them until you find the one that makes you comfortable and can handle your dental problems.
- Ask each doctor questions and talk about your phobias. Bring a list of your specific fears with you to make sure you don't forget any details.
- Make sure your doctor takes your problem seriously. Do not accept a dentist who dismisses you with a few words, who reinforces your fears and who gives you the impression of not being kind and empathetic.
Step 3. Plan visits gradually to undergo treatment
Once you have found the dentist who reassures you and makes you feel at ease, set up a series of appointments. Start with something as simple as a teeth cleaning and then, if you need it, move on to more invasive procedures, such as a root canal or a filling, when you are able to manage them.
This way you build a trusting relationship with your doctor
Step 4. If there is anything that makes you uncomfortable, agree with your doctor to stop the procedure and allow you to calm down
- The greater the frequency of visits and the number of positive experiences, the more likely you are to maintain good oral health and overcome dental phobia.
- Make appointments at times when waiting time is minimal. Being the first patient of the morning is a perfect tactic.
Part 3 of 3: Dealing with Fear During Procedures
Step 1. Communicate with your doctor
The basis for a good doctor-patient relationship is communication. Talk to your dentist before, during and after each procedure to minimize fears.
- Talk to your doctor before each surgery to express your fears and concerns. You can also ask for the procedure to be explained to you before you begin.
- Ask to be informed during the treatment. Remember that you have a right to know what's going on in your mouth.
Step 2. Know what to expect from the procedures you fear most
When facing fears, you no longer feel very safe and are tempted to avoid the situations that cause them. By implementing the behavioral tactics of scripting before the appointment with the doctor, you can also deal with the procedures that scare you and minimize dental phobia.
The scripting technique allows you to develop a plan, to write a "script" of what will happen and how to overcome it. For example, if you are terrified of the next tartar removal, write down notes and develop a plan that will allow you to be in control of what will happen during your visit. Think about what you might say in response to any questions or situations that may arise
Step 3. Define dental procedures in simple words
If you are afraid to go to an appointment or some specific treatment, try to describe and think of it in simple terms. This is a behavioral technique that allows you to reshape your thoughts and feelings about a given situation and make it common or mundane.
- If you are afraid of the cleaning procedure, then you can redefine it as a "quick process similar to brushing your teeth".
- Working with simple, more manageable elements helps you overcome your fears.
Step 4. Use relaxation techniques
These allow you to have more pleasant experiences at the dentist's office and to minimize the phobia. There are several methods, from breathing exercises to various relaxation techniques that allow you to manage fear.
- Many dentists suggest using nitrous oxide, sedation or anxiolytic drugs, such as alprazolam, to help you relax during the visit.
- Some doctors will prescribe anxiolytics before appointments if you have a severe form of phobia.
- If you take these kinds of medicines and your dentist has not prescribed them for you, be sure to let them know before each procedure to make sure that no dangerous interactions with other medicines develop.
- Remember that the use of these medicines and chemicals during dental procedures increases the cost of visits and, if you have private health insurance, your policy may not reimburse it.
- Try breathing exercises to relax. You can inhale and exhale rhythmically by counting to four in the first phase and then again to 4 in the second. If it helps, think of the words "let" mind you inhale and "go" as you exhale to eliminate, along with the air, even fear from your mind.
- If necessary, try different relaxation techniques.
Step 5. Distract yourself with various means of communication
There are many means that help you not to think about fear during a dental visit. Listen to music or watch TV that the doctor may have installed in the waiting room. This helps you relax and minimize fear.
- Many dentists now set up waiting rooms with MP3 players, televisions or tablets to offer some form of entertainment to their patients.
- If your doctor is not one of them, then ask if you can listen to quiet music or an audio book during your visit.
- You can also use a stress ball to distract and calm you down.
- It is advisable to listen to soothing music or watch a funny video before the appointment, to find calm and associate the visit to the dentist with positive feelings; all this allows you to manage and overcome phobias.
Step 6. Ask a friend or family member to accompany you
Consider asking someone you trust to come with you to distract you from the procedure and calm down.
If you are really very anxious, ask your doctor if your carer can come to the clinic. Knowing that another loved one is present can help you calm down
Step 7. Prevent severe dental problems by visiting your dentist regularly
Many people fear it due to complicated and often painful procedures such as devitalization. However, if you often go to the dentist with regular cleaning and check-ups, you will not only overcome your fears, but you will prevent serious pathologies of the oral cavity.
- Take care of your oral health on a daily basis to minimize the need for complex interventions. Brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss to prevent dental ailments.
- The more successful you undergo checks, the faster you will get rid of the phobia.
Step 8. Reward yourself every time you pass a test
After each date, reward yourself with something fun or something you want. This helps you associate dental visits with a positive memory instead of fear.
- For example, you can buy something undemanding like a shirt or a pair of shoes for going to the dentist.
- Or you could do something enjoyable like going to a fun club or water park.
- Avoid rewarding yourself with sweets, as they can cause tooth decay and require additional dental visits.
