Fear of the Dentist

March 29, 2016

An Easy Way to Fight Your Fear of the Dentist

How many of you have an absolute fear of something? This could be a fear of spiders, clowns, the IRS, or even the dentist. I am fortunate enough that I personally am not afraid of the dentist. I have always loved going to the dentist – the sounds, the smells, everything about it has always been soothing for me. It very well could have been the nitrous oxide, but either way it made me happy.

Some of you may have the opposite idea of going to a dental appointment. The reminder card itself could terrify you to the ends of the earth. For some people it is the sounds, the smell, and the unknowing all while we (the dental professionals) are in your personal space with stuff like cotton or a drill in your mouth. And yes, we do understand you when you are talking with everything in there, it can be a little boring so this is why we ask you questions when you have items in your mouth. It makes us giggle. 🙂

All jokes aside, you are not the first patient to be scared or want to cry in our office. It happens more than you think. I am always telling my students that the patient is not a number, but a person. You may be doing the same procedure twenty times in one day, but the people underneath the teeth are all very different and have different needs. Some people just need to know that we are on their side and a little pat on the shoulder, others need to just be left alone and deal with it their own ways. We will work with you either way.

As a patient, you should always try to communicate with the dental assistant and let them know your fears. We do not make judgement, but we try to help you. Even during the procedures you can always take a breather from all the things going on. Remember, it is your mouth we are there trying to help you out.

Let’s recap. The dental office does not have to be a horrible experience and you are not alone. We love to have fun with our patients and try to make you feel comfortable. We are here for you. No matter how big or small your fear, it’s our pleasure to assist you.

By: Lindsey Viel

1 thought on “Fear of the Dentist”

  1. Yeah, Many people afraid of dentist but now a days most of the dental specialist offer different types treatment for nervous patients. The first fear to deal with is the fear of told other people that you are afraid of dental treatment. And these days Dental techniques have improved so much over the last few years that modern dental treatment can now be completely painless. In spite of this, most people still feel a little nervous at the thought of going to the dentist. If you have not been to see a dentist for some time, you will probably find that things have improved a lot since your last visit. The general attitude is likely to be more relaxed, the dental techniques and safety procedures will be much better, and the equipment will be more up to date.