Why am I scared of the dentist?
Why am I so scared of the dentist?
Dental fear is really common with almost half of all adults having moderate or severe fear of the dentist so I promise you you are not alone! Understanding where your fear comes from will help you to get past it and find the treatment you need.
Dental fear could be because of your past history, maybe you had a bad experience as a child, or a relative did?
Or maybe you have generalised or healthcare anxiety? If you are worried about visiting doctors, having immunisations or general health checks like smear tests then visiting the dentist or hygienist could well make you very worried. People with general anxiety are often also worried at the dentist.
Many people tell me that they are worried that they will be ‘told off’ , ‘talked down to’ or ‘patronised’ about the state of their teeth. If you’ve left it a long time your teeth might be in a bit of a mess. A fear-friendly dentist will never tell you off! We recognise that no-one sets out to have bad teeth and will work WITH you to give you confidence to get ast your fear and rebuild your smile.
Lots of people are worried that dental care will hurt or are scared of injections. Dental anaesthetics are becoming more comfortable and effective all the time with numbing gels used before injections, or computerised gentle anaesthetic systems available to make the experience easier. When you are anxious this affects your pain threshold and makes things hurt more! So doing what you can to feel as calm as possible including relaxation exercises, meditation, distraction with music or comedy will help things feel much more comfortable.
Fear of the unknown is HUGE!
Being comfortable with your dentist and their team is important and ask them to explain things to you as you go along.
This will mean that you know what’s coming, which won’t feel as scary……
Understanding your fear and where it comes from will help you get past it!
Good luck.
Karen Sutton, no fear here dentist
Check out my online course to get past your fear here.
https://karensutton.vipmembervault.com/products/courses/view/1042366/?action=signup