Fear of the Dentist: Getting Past Your Phobias

Studies have shown that less than 10% of the population has a real fear of the dentist, but those are still numbers that are significant from a public health standpoint. When you combine them with people who are simply uncomfortable with making a dental appointment, ashamed of the state of their teeth, or consider themselves too busy to go, and you have a lot of people missing out on important dental care. If you count yourself among these numbers, it's time to get over your phobia and make an appointment. Your teeth are too important to let psychology keep you from getting the treatment you need. Here are some things you can do to reduce your fear. Get Moral Support Difficult things become much easier if you have a friend with you. Consider enlisting the help of a loved one to accompany you on your trip to the dentist. Tell them of your plan ahead of time and they will be there to talk you back into keeping your appointment when you start getting cold feet later on. Many dental offices will even let a friend or loved one come back into the office for the actual appointment. Anything you can do that will bring you extra comfort (short of drinking and taking drugs before the appointment) is a good thing. Distract Yourself We live in the age of electronic distraction. Take advantage of this when you go in for your appointment. Mention to the dentist that you are apprehensive and that listening to your MP3 player during the appointment will set you at ease. He'll be able to signal you if he needs to say something. Don't worry about being rude. It's better to go in and have limited conversation with the hygienists than to simply not go. Sedation Okay, so self-medicating before an appointment is a bad idea and could be potentially dangerous. But that doesn't mean that the wonderful world of drugs is necessarily off limits for your comfort. Look for a dentist in your area who practices sedation dentistry. This increasingly common method of relaxing patients could be just what you need to set you at ease during an appointment. Before you know it, the appointment will be over and you'll wonder what you were ever afraid of. Psychological Help Your problems may be greater than can be effectively solved using little self-help techniques. If you have a true dental phobia, a psychologist may be able to help you overcome your fear using methods that have worked for others. It's worth a shot, especially considering that your health stands in the balance.