One in five people
is afraid of going to the dentist. But if you count yourself among the
fearful, don't worry: one researcher says your fears are natural -- and
she offers advice to help you conquer them.
What
makes some of us afraid to have a relative stranger poke around in our
mouths, and worse yet, wield noisy instruments that drill holes in our
teeth?It turns out that both biology and environment have
something to do with this not-so-strange - or unusual - fear. For
example, if one of your parents is afraid of the dentist, the chances
increase that you will share their fear.
Not surprisingly, research results show that people who fear dentists often have worse dental health than those who don’t.
You might think that people who dread the drill would take particularly good care of their teeth, so they would never have to visit the dentist, but people with phobias don't necessarily follow this logic. In fact, the reason people fear the dentist also affects how they care for their teeth.
If their phobia is extremely strong they might find it uncomfortable doing anything with their teeth all. Even brushing them can be too unpleasant, And people who have toothaches from cavities can find it traumatic to brush their teeth. .
But what actually makes so many people fear the dentist?
“We have deep biological survival mechanisms. Fear and avoidance are also naturally triggered when we experience pain,” says the researcher.
People who are prone to suffer odontophobia are often control freaks.
Reclining in a dental chair can be hard enough because a prone patient is more helpless.
Some people have suffered traumatic experiences, which intensify these feelings. In particular, people who have been subjected to abuse or torture will often be left with a much greater need to feel in control.
Our experiences in the dental chair can also intensify or diminish a prospective fear of dentists.
.
While numerous factors affect this fear, its roots, like so much else in our personalities, could stem from our childhood.
If
you see that your parents are frightened, you may learn to take up
their fears. Scared parents who take their children to the dentist can
easily influence their kids to adopt their qualms.
If kids encounter pain or have other experiences that they find scary, the fear could take hold,” .
Thus, the very first visits to the dentist can be the most important.
“We know that if children have lots of good experiences before encountering something negative at the dentist’s, they have a better chance of avoiding this fear,” the researcher says.
A person’s general mental condition will also affect their feelings about visiting the dentist.
Once you have selected a dentist, consider the following advice:
The more the fear, the worse the teeth
People who are deeply afraid of going to the dentist may find that it affects their quality of life, because they spend a lot of time dreading going to the dentist. While some may go to the dentist now and again, they may have a terrible time of it. Others simply never go, she says.Not surprisingly, research results show that people who fear dentists often have worse dental health than those who don’t.
You might think that people who dread the drill would take particularly good care of their teeth, so they would never have to visit the dentist, but people with phobias don't necessarily follow this logic. In fact, the reason people fear the dentist also affects how they care for their teeth.
If their phobia is extremely strong they might find it uncomfortable doing anything with their teeth all. Even brushing them can be too unpleasant, And people who have toothaches from cavities can find it traumatic to brush their teeth. .
But what actually makes so many people fear the dentist?
There are biological reasons for why we want to keep dentists out of our mouths.
Our mouth is a vulnerable part of our body and several basic needs are threatened via the mouth, including having open air passages.“We have deep biological survival mechanisms. Fear and avoidance are also naturally triggered when we experience pain,” says the researcher.
People who are prone to suffer odontophobia are often control freaks.
Feeling helpless
.Reclining in a dental chair can be hard enough because a prone patient is more helpless.
Some people have suffered traumatic experiences, which intensify these feelings. In particular, people who have been subjected to abuse or torture will often be left with a much greater need to feel in control.
Our experiences in the dental chair can also intensify or diminish a prospective fear of dentists.
.
While numerous factors affect this fear, its roots, like so much else in our personalities, could stem from our childhood.
Frightened parents beget frightened kids
As humans, we are social animals who learn from people around us.If kids encounter pain or have other experiences that they find scary, the fear could take hold,” .
Thus, the very first visits to the dentist can be the most important.
“We know that if children have lots of good experiences before encountering something negative at the dentist’s, they have a better chance of avoiding this fear,” the researcher says.
A person’s general mental condition will also affect their feelings about visiting the dentist.
Handling your fear
Once you have selected a dentist, consider the following advice:
- Be honest and talk to someone about your fear.
- Tell the dentist you are afraid and ask for an appointment to discuss the matter first. This enables the dentist to learn what is needed to make your treatment better.
- You may find it advantageous to find a way to get more control over the treatment situation.
- If you feel that having the dental chair tilted back horizontally is very uncomfortable and frightening, ask if you can sit in a more upright position.
- Take someone you trust with you, who can make sure you keep your appointment, supports you and does not share your fears.
- Ask for an anaesthetic so that you don’t feel a thing; ask for more if you begin to sense pain.
- Most importantly, find a dentist you trust.
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