Ways to Handle Dental Phobia

The most common reasons that people say are associated with apprehensiveness can vary. Here are some examples with possible solutions:

1. You went to a dentist. He did a filling. It hurt. You never went back. Now you're very apprehensive. It didn't work out the last time. What should you do now?

Just because it didn't go well the last time does not mean it is going to be bad the next time. It can work out well with another dentist. On the other hand, nobody can possibly have a 100% satisfied patient pool. It is not uncommon to experience some degree of discomfort during or after an involved procedure. One unpleasant incident does not mean that the dentist is incompetent. As long as you know your priorities and the dentist is open to your input, feel free to discuss the issue. If you don't, it will keep on happening no matter how many times you switch your dentist. If you do not inform, the dentist may not even realize what is bothering you. Remember, good communication helps in resolving many problems. Talk about your concerns. You can decide whether to continue there or not based on how the dentist is responding to your concerns. You can sense if you're comfortable with the outcome.

2. You have an extreme dental phobia. What should you do? You do not go to a dentist until you really have to; i.e., when you're already in severe pain. Why should you go if it is fine?

Most likely your phobia is about the pain, and then you're admitting to the fact that you do eventually go to the dentist once the pain gets unbearable. So, when you do go to the dentist, you have the following:
a)You are experiencing pain anyway - you're already in trouble!
b)You have a cavity or some other condition that is way too involved. In most of these cases you end up losing the tooth or have an abscess requiring Root Canal Treatment.
c)You are the one who is lacking the health
d)In the end, you could not avoid seeing the dentist!

So, you would have been better off going to the dentist to begin with. You could have maintained good oral health without the agony. If you have dental phobia, try to find a dentist through a friend or family who is known to be compassionate. (Not every clinician has good people skills). You can talk about your fear the first visit. Having good communication helps. Amazingly, majority of the patients who do not come on a regular basis due to dental phobias have very good dental insurance and still not take the advantage. The money is just wasted on the premiums.

3. The sound of the drill makes you nervous. What can you do about that?

You can always bring a Walkman, iPod or any portable audio device (with a headphone). You can listen to the music while the dentist does the work. You can avoid the noise without causing any disturbance or distraction.