When You’re Scared of the Dentist

You may not enjoy going to the dentist but considering your other options- such as tooth decay, painful abscessed teeth and a poor smile- it may not be such a bad thing after all that we have the option of good dental care. It wasn’t that long ago when a dentist had to work without the benefits of modern day medicine including pain numbing shots. In fact the only shot the dentist of the frontier days had to offer was a shot of whiskey.

It also wasn’t that long ago those basic hygienic practices that we take for granted today such as sterilized instruments and the dentist and dental hygienist wearing gloves before working on a patient were unheard of. Of course a lot of dentist contracted diseases such as TB from their patients as a result of this lack of knowledge and hygienic practices and a lot of patients were also exposed to disease and infection from the dentist. All of these things of course helped to push forward the need to monitor the dental field and create expectations for training dentist.

Today a dentist generally has a bachelor degree before entering into dental school although it is not a requirement and they spend years learning the trade, kind of like an apprentice, long before they are out on their own practicing solo. This is a big improvement over the days where anyone could hang up a sign, proclaim themselves a dentist and learn on their unfortunate patients!

If you’re still leery of going to the dentist, there are a few simple things you can do to help you feel more comfortable during your visit. First find a dentist that you like and trust. Most dentist are out going and customer service orientated and know how to make even the most terrified patient feel at ease so this shouldn’t be to big of an issue.

Talk to your dentist about your fears and let them know you are scared of the dental chair. Most dentists can offer you some distractions such as headphones to listen to music or television or use nitrous oxide or laughing gas to help calm you down before they begin. And if your dentist knows you’re scared of the chair they can work at a slower pace and accommodate you better.
Schedule your appointment for a time of day when you won’t be stressed or in hurry and the dentist won’t be over loaded with patients. And of course you can also exercise the option of bringing a friend or family member with you for support. If you need someone to sit in the exam area with you, let your dentist and the scheduling person know ahead of time so they can accommodate your needs and possibly put you in a larger room.