Fear of going to the dentist is far more common than you might imagine. This may be partly due to childhood memories of school dentists, where children were bundled off to a dentist in a bus with no parents to support them. 

Less common is dental phobia, but either condition can prevent a person from having the dental treatment done to ensure a healthy mouth and teeth.

Needles, drills and dental settings can all be triggers for anxiety, as well as some illnesses such as post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder.  

Signs of dental anxiety include:

• Sweating
• Palpitations or racing heartbeat
• Low blood pressure and fainting
• Signs of panic such as crying
• Withdrawal, using aggression and humour to mask the situation

Signs of dental phobia include:

• Traumatic experiences as a child
• Trauma to the neck and head
• Any traumatic previous experiences
• Fear of loss of control
• Claustrophobia
• Obsessive compulsive disorder where cleanliness is an obsession

Fortunately, there are some ways to handle fear of the dentist. It is important that you let your dentist know as soon as you can about your anxiety and the stress level that affects you. Open discussion will help the dentist to work with you to keep the situation calm for you.

• Deep breathing
• Meditation
• Using a distraction such as music and headphones
• Agreeing with the dentist to stop at a given signal such as raising your hand
• Using a stress ball

Even before you arrive at your dentist appointment you should discuss your anxiety with the receptionist so that the dentist is aware of how you feel.

If possible, have a friend or close family member come with you. While they may not be able to sit in the room with you, they will be there when you are finished.

Final thoughts

In extreme cases of anxiety and phobia it is possible to be referred to a sedation clinic. These clinics allow the dentist to do any required work without putting the patient through stress and anxiety attacks.

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