All about Dentophobia
While for most people a visit to the dentist is as normal as a visit to their local supermarket, we at Coptfold Dental Practise understand that for some, even the thought of a visit to the dentist in Brentwood may give rise to feelings of extreme fear and anxiety. Dentophobia is defined as the fear of visiting the dentist; people with this fear experience feelings of anxiety when they think about going to or even when they visit the dentist. Dentophobia is often caused by a negative experience that may have occurred in the past or due to a feeling of lack of control.
What causes Dentophobia?
Dentophobia can be caused by a variety of factors and there are certain groups of people who are more at risk of developing the fear. You may have a fear of visiting the dentist due to a past experience that may have been negative, for example a dental procedure that went wrong or was extremely painful for you. It may be that you have a family history of dentophobia which has been passed down to you through experiences that other people faced themselves. It could also be caused by a feeling of lack of control over a situation as visiting your dentist in Brentwood entails putting your oral health in someone else’s hands. Your phobia could be due to fears associated with the dentist such as anaesthetics, blood or needles as these are commonly seen or discussed when visiting the dentist. You are more likely to develop a phobia of visiting the dentist if you already have another phobia such as previously discussed, if you suffer with anxiety or panic disorders, or if you suffer with a disorder revolving substance use.
What are the symptoms of Dentophobia?
Dentophobia symptoms can range from mild to extreme, with the more extreme symptoms causing people to avoid visiting the dentist even when they are suffering greatly due to dental problems. Mild symptoms include chills, nausea, dizziness, crying, and shaking. On the other hand, the more extreme symptoms include excessive sweating, heart palpitations and shortness of breath. Whatever your level of fear may be, our dentist in Brentwood offers special care to patients who suffer with dentophobia in order to make your visit as calm and stress-free as possible.
Solutions
At Coptfold Dental Practise we offer two forms of sedation in order to ensure your appointment is more comfortable and relaxing. The first type being an intravenous sedation which injects a sedative drug into the patient, making them feel completely relaxed during their dental treatment. The second form of sedation we use is inhalation sedation which is a solution for those who do not like needles. It involves placing a mask over your nose and mouth and making you inhale a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen which causes you to feel calm during your dental appointment. You remain awake during both of these sedation methods and remain aware throughout the treatment, but they will ensure that you feel completely relaxed while our dentist works on your teeth, making your experience more pleasant and hopefully making future visits to the dentist less frightening.