How to Overcome Dental phobia

Overcoming dental phobia

For many, a trip to the dentist's office is "a descent into hell." A good dentist- patient relationship and open communication are keys to overcoming ‘dental anxiety. You’ve put off going to the dentist for years. Never mind if you have to self—medicate a lot- treating your own cavities with toothache drops, pulling your own teeth, or applying whatever temporary remedy you can lay your hands on or have been advised to try- rightly or wrongly—to soothe that pesky aching tooth. To be sure you’re willing to try just about anything to make the pain go away—anything, that is, but visit the dentist.

"For those who suffer from dental phobia, a trip to the dentist's office is more than unpleasant: It's a descent into hell," said Louis Siegel man, director of dental anesthesiology at LutheranMedicalCenter in Brooklyn. "Some patients are so terrified that they can't even come into the building."

Dr. Siegel man understands that some patients' phobias are rooted in deeper traumas, such as physical or sexual abuse, yet most dental phobic can trace their fears to bad experiences in the dentist’s chain usually during childhood. These include careless comments made by a dentist. A major dental phobia treatment center in New York identifies other common origins of dental fear:

- A severe discomfort with feeling helpless or out of control in the dental situation;

- A sense of embarrassment of one's dental neglect and fear of ridicule or belittlement when he visits a dental clinic;

- Scary anecdotes of negative dental experiences heard from family and friends;

- Negative portrayals of dentists in movies, television, newspapers, and magazines;

- A sense of depersonalization in the dental process, intensified by the need for barrier precautions such as masks, latex gloves, and shields;

- A general fear of the unknown.

For people who were forcibly held down on a dentist’s chair as children, or ignored when they were experiencing pain, every visit to the dentist is a return to that sense of helplessness and terror, said Dr. Siegel man. But this need not be the case, especially since there is now a greater focus on treating "the whole patient, not just her teeth," stressed Kim Harms, DDS, president of the Minnesota Dental Association. "Dentists today are being taught the importance of communicating with their patients," she added. "Trust is critical," concurred Dr. Siegel man.

You know you are dealing with a dentist with whom you can build trust if he is patient, highly competent, makes an effort to make each meeting pain—free, genuinely cares about you (and not merely concerned about dispensing the required treatment), and has the ability to calm your nerves. "In my years of successfully treating dental phobic, l has used a number of techniques. Some even involve the use of mild sedatives, but most techniques involve face to face communication, answering of the patient‘s questions, and a lot of listening,” Dental phobic would thus do well to discuss their fears with their dentists, who in turn are expected to understand the phobic'

Feelings and be sympathetic about them. “Don't be worried about telling a dentist that you are nervous or frightened/' said the British Dental Association (BDA). Explain your concerns and ask your dentist what help he can provide for a nervous patient like you. It helps if you can identify the things that make you nervous about a dental visit before you arrive for your appointment, said the BDA experts.

To be continued part 2

Stop being afraid of dentist! here's some cheap solution for you

	I Love going to the Dentist age 4-7 Help little ones overcome fear of the dentist (Lynda Hudson's Unlock Your Life Audio CDs for Children) (Lynda Hudson's "Unlock Your Life" Audio CDs for Children) Price: $19.90 List Price: $19.90
	Smile For Life: A Guide to Overcoming Your Fear of the Dentist Price: $5.95 List Price: $12.95
	Overcoming Medical Phobias: How to Conquer Fear of Blood, Needles, Doctors, And Dentists Price: $8.50 List Price: $14.95