Are you afraid of the dentist? If even any small part of you is tempted to say yes, you’re certainly not alone. One study performed by the American Dental Association found that over 20% of Americans experience some degree of dentophobia. There’s no reason to think that statistic is much different here in Canada.
Where does the fear come from?
Dentophobia seems to arise from three possible sources: prior bad experiences relating to a dentist or dental treatment; an underlying phobia specifically associated with medical and dental implements and equipment; and even memories of being threatened by the dentist as a form of discipline.
While it might seem strange to spend so much time discussing the roots and reasons for dental fear and anxiety rather than simply discussing how it is dealt with by your dentist in Cranbrook, we believe that open conversations and transparency about this issue are more likely to bring relief. We’ll turn to how fear and anxiety are managed to be sure, after completing a brief discussion of the triggers associated with dental fear.
What are people afraid of?
While many dental fear and anxiety triggers are personal, unique and specific, the following list represents a common cluster of triggers we encounter in our practice:
- The sight and sound of needles and drills
- The smell of chemicals used in dentistry (often eugenol though patients can not usually identify it)
- The sensation of vibrations
- Fear of or revulsion at the sight of blood
- An inability or unwillingness to trust the dentist
- Fear of sharp objects
- In a trigger that itself consists of a wide range of issues, a fear of being unable to observe and control one’s own experience of treatment
How is fear managed?
For too many people, dental anxiety and fear are so extreme as to interfere with receiving routine dental care, essential dental treatment and even urgent treatment during a dental emergency in Cranbrook. There are three components to the approach a dentist in Cranbrook takes to working with a highly anxious and afraid patient.
Conversation and transparency. Fear is often rooted in mystery, ignorance and inaccessibility. The more a patient and dentist take the time to discuss fear without imposing or experiencing shame, the greater likelihood that you’ll be able to identify your personal triggers specifically enough that your dentist in Cranbrook may be able to adjust the delivery of services and treatment to avoid heightening your response.
Sedation dentistry. Helping you to achieve varying levels of relaxation — through nitrous oxide, oral sedation or IV sedation — does not eliminate your anxiety or fear but can help you to overcome the fear or anxiety for long enough to receive the care you need. The availability of sedation dentistry — in what format and to what extent — depends on a careful review of your medical history and past experience with sedation.
Laser dentistry. To the extent that your fear and anxiety are triggered by some of the sensations of dentistry, laser dentistry has transformed the practice and experience of dental treatment in a way that may resolve some of your most urgent concerns. While not everything can be completed using lasers, many soft and hard tissue treatments can now be performed silently, without vibrations, without anesthesia administered by needle, and almost entirely without blood.
Fear and anxiety generally seem to have reached an increased level thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions. Dentists near you have typically taken the same approach to managing COVID-related anxiety as anxiety over dentistry itself. That is to say that the profession has prioritized being very communicative while also investing significant time and money in sterilization procedures, personal protective equipment for all concerned, social distancing, and even different instrumentation to minimize the risk of infection. Thankfully, infection control has always been at the forefront of professional dental practices.
Whether your fear and anxiety are associated with COVID-19 or related to dentistry more generally, rest assured that we understand and respect why you are afraid. We are committed to ensuring you safely and comfortably receive the treatment you need, whether that treatment is routine and preventative, reactive and restorative, or required to respond to a dental emergency near you.