The Causes of Dental Phobia and How It Can Be Prevented
Every visit to our practice should be a good one. We truly believe that. In fact, our cosmetic dentistry team is committed to patient wellness, which is why we go the extra mile to answer questions, address concerns, and make sure that you are well taken care of. This kind of patient-centered care is our way of ensuring that you are healthy after a visit and also feel great about stopping by.
Some patients suffer from major issues with anxiety, however, which makes dental visits a source of extreme worry. This is known as dental phobia, which we'd like to take a moment to consider right now.
About Dental Phobia / Fear of the Dentist
Most people are a little bit nervous when they visit the dentist. This kind of worry is natural, and it usually involves people wondering if they flossed enough and if they might have cavities.
Dental phobia is a different issue, however. Dental anxiety is not just nervousness but a major fear of dentists and dentistry, and it can lead to full-blown panic attacks for patients. Sometimes this fear is so acute that patients avoid visiting the dentist for years as a result, allowing major dental problems to develop over a long period of time.
Why Some People Develop Dental Phobia
Dental phobia may be linked to a number of things. Some common causes include the following:
- Negative experiences from the past - Patients may have had bad experiences at the dentist's office when they were young, giving them a negative point of view on dentistry as a whole
- A sense of helplessness while in the chair - One source of fear that patients may face is their sense of helplessness or being prone while being treated, and admittedly, one may feel very vulnerable in a dentist's chair
- Pain and discomfort during treatment - If patients underwent a very painful dental procedure in the past, it may make them worry about a repeat of this unfortunate experience
- Embarrassment about dental wellness - Sometimes a patient may feel very uncomfortable or self-conscious about having his or her mouth examined, and so they avoid dental treatment because of this
Since we understand the causes of dental anxiety, we also do our best to address the issues in various ways.
We Provide a Relaxed Environment
In order to make you feel at ease and at home, we offer a calming office environment as well as a number of amenities that will make your visit a very comfortable one.
We Use State-of-the-Art Technology for Painless Dentistry
In order to reduce pain and discomfort, we use advanced dental technology to improve your wellness. Special anesthetic techniques mean less worry and less pain, and using laser dentistry for prepping fillings replaces the buzzing and whirring of drills with a silent and much more precise alternative.
Positive Experiences with Every Visit
Coming back to our initial point, we want to make sure that every visit to our practice is as pleasant and positive as possible. By doing this, we will help make sure that you feel great about visiting our practice rather than anxious.
Learn More About Methods of Addressing Dental Phobia
If you would like to learn more about dental phobia and how it can be addressed through effective dental care, be sure to contact our Doylestown cosmetic and restorative dentistry practice today. The entire team here looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you get the dental treatment that you need and you deserve.
