Dental Phobia Most people experience some degree of anxiety or fear at the prospect of going to the dentist, but for some people, the anxiety is so great that they don’t obtain the dental care they need. Fear of going to the dentist can range from mild anxiety to extreme phobia, but for those whose fear is so great they avoid dental care, the consequences can be severe.

The reasons for dental fear or anxiety are as varied as the personalities of the people who experience them. There are many causes, ranging from a general “fear of the dentist,” to fear of dental procedures, low tolerance/fear of pain, embarrassment over the condition of teeth, fear of loss of control or being pinned down, even a concern over a heightened gag reflex. Also, for a person who is a survivor of abuse, the dental situation can trigger disturbing memories.

The good news is that dental fear can be overcome. Fear is a learned behavior, and therefore, can be unlearned. For those patients who suffer from a phobia (an extreme fear), professional help may be required, but for those who suffer from mild to medium anxiety, a sympathetic and understanding dentist can help.

A good dentist will have heard most of the same fears before, from other patients, and will be willing to work with an anxious patient and help him/her overcome their fear. Once that first step has been taken, there are a variety of methods and techniques available, including:

• Intravenous Sedation - for highly anxious patients, a tranquillizer is administered into the blood stream, causing deep relaxation and frequently leaving only partial memory of the procedure
• Oral Sedation - for highly anxious patients; an oral sedative is taken by the patient an hour or so before the dental procedure; the drawback with oral sedation is that it is difficult to predict how quickly a patient will respond to the drug
• General Anaesthesia - for extreme cases of anxiety; as with major surgery, the patient is completely unconscious; because of the health risks involved, most dentists are reluctant to use this technique unless it is as a last resort
• Inhalation Sedation - for mild anxiety; combinations of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and oxygen gases are inhaled through a rubber mask; nitrous oxide is safe and simple to use and the effects wear off quickly
• Hypnosis - a skilled hypnotist can produce good results, but as with sedatives, different personalities respond in different ways under hypnosis; there may also be difficulty finding an experienced dentist or hypnotherapist, and cost may be a factor, as the patient is paying the fees of two specialists
• Psycotherapy - for severe anxiety; therapy is a common method of dealing with many phobias and other anxiety related disorders; while effective, the time and cost involved may be extreme
• Support - simply finding a friend or family member who is willing to go with you to your dental appointment and sit with you may make your anxiousness easier to tolerate