Dentists: How To Overcome Your Phobia

Dentists and millions of people around the world are subject to this phobia. It is one of the most common fears in modern society—somewhat irrational to be sure, but common nonetheless. Common as it may be, it is much more serious than a peculiar fear of heights or a strange fear of cotton balls. Fear of dental offices can lead people to refuse to go seek professional help for years at a time, missing out on important preventative care. Eventually, this can lead to a breakdown in dental health, which can result in lost teeth, gum disease, and poor health spreading to the rest of the body. If phobias have kept you from keeping up with your visits to the dental office, here are some tips to control your fear.

The first thing you need to understand is that you are not alone. As stated, millions of people suffer from fear of dentists so there is no need to think that there are not others out there who feel as you do. However, this should serve as all the more reason for you to work past your fear. Many dental offices now offer what’s called sedation dentistry. This process allows the patient to be put to sleep with a light sedative while the hygienists perform the cleaning or the doctor does the work needed. Many people have benefited from this form of dentistry and been able to conquer their fears and get the care they need. Look around your area and see if any offices offer sedation dentistry, as it might be just the ticket you need.

Try to find fun dentists in your city. This is becoming more and more common as the profession realizes they have to go to extra lengths to compete for the phobic patients. There are many dental offices that are now fully decorated in special themes, like sci-fi, and have plasma televisions and other diversions right in the cleaning room. This might sound somewhat geared towards kids, but many adults have found comfort in such offices and it has allowed them to get back to a regular dental regimen.

Finally, don’t let the fear build on itself. A common problem people have is that they wait so long before going in to see help that they have a compounded fear of getting lectured or of the dentists finding something seriously wrong with their teeth. This is no reason to stay away. Better to know what’s wrong than to put your head in the sand and hope for it to go away. It won’t go away—it will only get worse. With today’s techniques, there are plenty of options that come before tooth removal, but these options diminish the longer you wait. Don’t hesitate another second. Find an office that will cater to you and make an appointment today.