Dental Anxiety
Written by Dentist Rune Skou, 2009-05-01Last update: 2009-06-07
Approximately 40% of people feel uncomfortable about going to see the dentist.
What is dental anxiety?
Dental anxiety covers a wide range of concerns about dental treatment.
Some patients with mild cases, for example, may only feel uncomfortable about having their teeth drilled, while other patients with more serious cases may experience extreme feelings of fear just thinking about having anything done with their teeth.
Where does dental anxiety come from?
Dental anxiety is typically caused by an uncomfortable dental experience – most often encountered during childhood.
If this experience develops into a general fear of dental treatment, patients begin to avoid seeing their dentist. This can then lead to feelings of shame about their anxiety, and so create a circle of fear and shame that’s hard to break out of.
Advice for patients suffering from dental anxiety:
- Use a dentist with special training/experience in handling patients with dental anxiety
- When making an appointment, tell the receptionist that you have dental anxiety
- If possible, make the appointment early in the day so you won’t have long to worry about it
- Tell your dentist what makes you uncomfortable/anxious
- Bring some relaxing music to listen to
Patients with severe dental anxiety should seek psychological advice before or during dental treatment; the condition is treatable by a qualified psychologist.