Are you afraid of the dentist? More than 19 million Americans have a phobia. One in 10 people are estimated to suffer from extreme dental anxiety. People with phobias have intense, unreasonable fears when faced with a particular situation, object, or activity. Around ten to twenty percent of Americans do not go to the dentist because of dental anxiety.
Dental Phobia is more of a problem than dental anxiety. The phobia makes people extremely terrified. People who have dental phobia know that the fear is not normal, but are unable to do much about it. They will do everything possible to avoid going to the dentist. Severe pain is usually the only reason some will make a trip to the dentist. Usually with dental phobia, someone will have trouble sleeping the night before their dental appointment. Some people get more and more nervous while waiting to be seen. Others have trouble breathing and extreme uneasiness when objects are placed in their mouth.
What causes dental anxiety and dental phobia?
- Bad experiences at the dentist in the past
- Fear of not being able to get numb
- Fear of needles
- Fear of pain
- Invading personal space. This is when one might feel uncomfortable about the physical closeness of the hygienist or dentist.
- Feelings of helplessness. People start to panic when they are not able to see what is going on.
Discussing these fears with your dentist is a good way to overcome it. The dentist will be able to make you feel more at ease once he/she knows what your fears are. If lack of control stresses you out, join in a discussion with the dentist about your treatment to ease the anxiety. Ask the dentist to explain what is going on at every stage of the procedure. Tell the dentist that you will raise your hand if there is any discomfort, or if you just simply need to take a break. This will mentally help ease the tension.
There are several options to help with anxiety. Nitrous Oxide or laughing gas is one of the most common forms of relieving dental anxiety. The level of nitrous and oxygen can be regulated and it wears off quickly so you do not have to have a driver. Another option is taking oral medication that calms and relaxes you (like Valium) prescribed by your dentist before your appointment. This can also be combined with laughing gas for a stronger effect. A driver may be required when taking oral medication for anxiety. Ask your dentist for details. If you have extreme dental phobia and the above options do not help, discuss with your options with your dentist. Deeper sedation options may require you to be referred to a specialist. These include oral conscious sedation and general anesthesia.
At Comfort Plus Family Dental, we offer extra comforts to help ease dental anxiety. Besides laughing gas, these include radio with headphones to block out noise, comfy blankets, tension-relieving cooling eye gel masks, and aromatherapy. You may also want to consider bringing your i-pod with you or listen to your favorite music through headphones on your cell phone. You can also wear sunglasses to help block out your surroundings during your appointment. Our goal is to make you as comfortable as possible during your appointments with us.