3 Reasons People Are Afraid Of The Dentist

Dentist Blog

Do you fear going to the dentist? Is this fear preventing you from scheduling your routine dental exam or getting some much-needed dental work done? If you are afraid of going to the dentist, you certainly are not alone. According to the most recent statistics, about 36 percent of the population has some degree of dental anxiety. About 12 percent suffer from dentophobia, which is an extreme fear of going to the dentist.

In order to help you overcome your fear of going to the dentist, it may help to understand why you have this fear. Here are three reasons people fear going to the dentist and a solution to alleviate this fear.

1. Bad Experience

Many people are afraid of the dentist because they have had a bad experience in the past. Maybe the dentist didn't explain the procedure well enough so the patient did not know what to expect or the dentist didn't give the patient enough anesthetic prior to a dental procedure. A person's bad experience may also have had to do with the hygienist doing a poor job cleaning the teeth. All of these types of bad dental experiences could make someone anxious about going again.

2. Pain

Thanks to advances in dentistry, there is not a lot of pain associated with dental procedures today. This has not always been the case, however. In the past, some dental procedures were more painful because the instruments were not as advanced. When a person has experienced pain during a dental procedure, it can be easy for them to associate that pain with the dentist.

Some dental procedures, such as tooth extractions and root canals, can cause pain after the anesthetic has worn off following the procedure. The thought of feeling that kind of pain again can make people afraid of going back to the dentist.

3. Sensory Overload

There is a lot going on during a dental procedure. Besides the high-pitched noises the dental instruments make, some people are uncomfortable with the sensation of those instruments inside their mouth. Their teeth might also be sensitive to the water that gets sprayed inside the mouth. All of this can cause sensory overload for some people, and it makes it very difficult for them to relax, which results in fear and anxiety about going to the dentist.

If you are afraid of the dentist for any of the above reasons, one solution is to try sedation dentistry. You can talk to the dentist about what level of sedation may be necessary. These levels of sedation dentistry include minimal, moderate, deep, and general anesthesia.

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