Sedation Dentistry Blog

Your avoidance of the dental office probably started when you were young. Dental anxiety or fear often begins in childhood and carries over to adulthood.

By the time you reach your mid-twenties or early thirties, it is entirely possible that you have avoided the dentist’s office for a decade or more.The result of this avoidance is ongoing and extensive damage to your oral health and, more to the point, your teeth.

This often compounds the problem because now on top of your dental fear you are dealing with embarrassment about the condition of your teeth and prefer to avoid the lecture you are sure is coming from a dental professional. This is a very common scenario that is played out again and again all over the country.
Common Thoughts
If this sounds familiar, you are likely suffering from dental anxiety that stems from a fear of being humiliated by your dentist. Internal dialogue is your number one enemy when you are afraid of what a dentist might say to you about the condition of your teeth.
Many people feel like they have the worse teeth on the planet. They can envision a dentist jumping back in horror at the condition of their teeth. If you are afraid that your dentist may use your teeth as a case study for the worse case of decay in history, you are suffering from a high level of dental anxiety!
Left unaddressed, this level of embarrassment can lead to depression, social avoidance and even thoughts of suicide for severe cases. Even if your dental problems are in the back of your mouth and unseen by most of the world, just the fact that you can feel the holes in your teeth with your tongue can be quite disconcerting.
Causes of this Dental Fear
In order to deal with this kind of dental anxiety it is important to understand where the fear comes from. Many people have experienced an old school dentist who believed the best way to encourage a patient to take better care of their teeth was by berating them.

For many years the idea of strict authoritarian attitudes permeated many areas, including parenting, which created doctors and dentists with this same type of attitude. Thankfully, this has changed over the years to a more sensitive, caring approach.

It could be that you have never experienced an old school dentist, but society’s emphasis on beauty and perfection has increased your embarrassment about your teeth. Yellowed, broken or missing teeth are not the most attractive thing in the world.But do not allow fear of judgment by dentists or others hold you back from treatment.

Money is at the root of a good deal of missed dental appointments, especially in the current economy. Good dental insurance is hard to find and cash has been hard to come by in many households, which can lead to dental neglect. If you are afraid that your dentist will come to negative conclusions about you or your financial status, do not be.Dentists see this kind of thing a lot and they understand.

Options
Regardless of what started your dental fear and anxiety, you truly need to overcome it in order to begin taking care of your oral health. To help you do this, it is important that you learn all you can about new dental procedures that can make your trip to the dentist more pleasant or at least tolerable.
Sedation dentistry is an option your dentist can use to make your visit more enjoyable. Before your visit, you will be instructed to take medication, then again when you arrive. By the time you are sitting in the dental chair you will be quite relaxed and, in all honesty, you probably will not remember much about your trip.

Very few people like needles, and it is nearly impossible to have dental work done without a shot to numb your gums. In the past, the only way to deal with shots was to, pardon the pun, grit your teeth and bear it. Today your dentist can numb the gum with a topical solution before giving you a shot to numb the tooth area.

Conclusion
It is very doubtful that you have the worst mouth on the planet; your dentist has more than likely seen much worse in his profession. This type of dental anxiety, while common, is hard to overcome. You must actually make an appointment and see the dentist to discover that he or she is not going to berate or humiliate you over the condition of your teeth.

If you still believe that you have the worst case ever seen, check out the internet for images. A simple search for bad teeth pictures should suffice.But be warned, there are some rough images out there! Think of it as therapeutic searching to help you overcome your dental fear.

You know, even if you did have the absolute worst teeth ever imagined, your dentist is a trained professional whose main drive is to help you. There may still be a few of the old crusty, cranky dentists out there, but they are becoming extinct. You can overcome this type of dental anxiety by simply getting out there and talking to other patients and even the staff at the dental office you are considering.

However, if you suffer from severe embarrassment, you may need a heath coach or counselor to overcome it in order to receive the dental care you need.

There have been many amazing advancements made recently in our ability to overcome embarrassment. If you are unable to conquer your embarrassment on your own, you should definitely explore these new techniques.

Are you hiding your mouth behind your hand when you smile or laugh?

Do you avoid looking people in the face when you speak to them because your breath is so bad?

Are you terrified of the person in the white coat who is asking you to open wide?

If so, you are not alone. According to the US Surgeon General’s oral health report, nearly 50% of Americans avoid going to the dentist! When you realize the population of the United States numbers in the hundreds of millions, you see that a great number of people have the exact same dental anxiety that you suffer.

There is even a name for this kind of fear – Odontophobia – extreme fear of the dentist. The good news is there are kind and caring dentists armed with the latest treatment options and psychological support staff that can provide you with anxiety free and pain free dental care and finally cure you of your dental fear.

Causes of Dental Anxiety

The number one reason people avoid seeing the dentist is because of fear or anxiety. This is generally because of a traumatic experience with a dental practitioner when you were a child. Perhaps you needed fillings in an upper tooth and the dentist had to give you shots in the roof of your mouth. Or maybe your dentist was just verbally mean or cold.Whatever happened in your case it has left you with an intense case of dental anxiety.

You could also be in the category of people who simply fear many forms of medical practice. Needles, drills and other dental equipment may make you feel faint just at the thought.

Dental fear can be linked to any number of causes including a sensitive gag reflex, fear of pain, horror stories (real and imagined) and a host of other situations. The bottom line is, you are scared and it would take a team of mules to drag you into the dentist’s office!

Results of Dental Fear

Dental fear often leads to bad teeth, which can cause pain and embarrassment, which you probably already knew. However, did you know that leaving your teeth unattended could actually lead to more severe medical problems and in some cases even premature death?

Common oral diseases such as gingivitis and periodontal disease can actually affect your heart. It is not entirely clear what the connection is but the American Heart Association has speculated that inflammation in your gums and around the teeth can lead to inflammation of the heart and increased plaque buildup in your arteries.

Even if your overall health has yet to be affected, dental fear can lead to bad breath, broken or missing teeth and pain like you never imagined. Many people who have suffered toothaches will tell you the pain is the worst they have ever felt in their life! Do not let your dental anxiety lead you down this path to pain and embarrassment; it simply is not worth it.

Sedation Dentistry

If you are able to conquer your nerves on your own to make a dental appointment, you will be glad to know that there is something available today called sedation dentistry.

In days past, sedation had to be done through intravenous methods and was just as dangerous as anesthesia for surgery.

Today, however, you can take a medication before your visit that will leave you calm and relaxed.And when it is all over, you will remember little if anything about the dental visit. The problem is you need to conquer your dental anxiety enough to get to the office in the first place.

Techniques to Conquer Fear

The first thing you will want to do is find a dentist that is sensitive to your dental fear. Call around and be upfront about how you feel, there is little point in hiding the fact that you are scared. Talk to the receptionist about your fear and inquire about the dentist’s record of accomplishment with anxiety-ridden patients.

One simple way you can determine the dentist’s skill in this area is to schedule a consultation visit. This will be an appointment where the most intense thing you do is have x-rays taken; you will soon find out if you are a good match with the dentist and his or her staff.

While in the office, be open with the dentist about your dental anxiety and inquire about the techniques they can use. For example, many dentists use the sedation dentistry medication listed above, others offer painless injections by providing you with a topical anesthetic before giving you a shot. Technology has come a long way in the past few years and you might be surprised at just how enjoyable a dentist visit could be.

You may suffer such severe dental anxiety that you need more intense help to overcome it and receive the dental care you need. Some people find health coaching or counseling to be very beneficial for overcoming all kinds of fear and anxiety, including the type that comes from a visit to the dentist’s office.

Over the last few years, there have been remarkable advancements made in our ability to control anxiety and fear. If you are unable to conquer your fear on your own, you should definitely explore these new techniques.

Conclusion

Avoiding the dentist can cost you much more than your smile. Bacteria building up in your mouth can lead to further medical problems, up to and including heart disease. You do not want to let your dental anxiety lead you to an early grave, especially since there are so many ways to make your dental visit more pleasant.

Even if you are not concerned with the overall health risks, poor oral health can be embarrassing. Broken, yellow or rotting teeth are not something you want to show off, and many people wind up avoiding many social situations because of them.

It is time for you to overcome your dental fear and fix these problems before irreversible damage is done. Your fear is real, but it does not have to rule your life, there are many options in dentistry today that were not available just a few years ago. Take back your confidence and smile today!