Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad………..Dentist
Let me start off by saying I have a WONDERFUL dentist. Unrealistically, I hope he never retires. Unfortunately he is my age so I know at some point in my life I will have to either let my teeth rot or find a new dentist.
I AM DENTAL PHOBIC. Along with 9-15% of the American population. Dental phobia is not as rare as one might think. I am one of the lucky ones who found a “painless” dentist, quite by accident, after having an experience in the dental chair that convinced me I would never, ever, experience that type of pain again – more about that later.
Being a good mother I knew it was my responsibility to get my children regular dental checkups. We had just moved to a new town. At 2 my daughter had already had a dentist exposure in Alaska, after knocking her front teeth loose trying to fly off the back of the couch and landing on the wooden arm, so I knew I would have to find someone really good with children. My son had a less than positive exposure also when the dentist yelled at him on his first visit to “sit still and stop fussing”. We left. Someone suggested a particular dentist that was known for his skill with children. We visited the office and I was sold – for my kids. As I was leaving the receptionist asked when I’d be bringing in my dental records to which I replied ” I don’t really think it will be in this lifetime. I brush and floss regularly.” Then I told her the real reason. I had had a very painful, unexpected test done by a dentist that was so bad I thought my heart was going to quit beating and I didn’t think I could ever go back. Someone in the waiting room overheard this exchange and spoke up. “Chris, is the closest thing you will ever find to a painless dentist. You should really give him a chance.” I did and for 30 years he has preserved my teeth on an every six month schedule. We’ve been together through root canals, gingivitis, new fillings, old fillings, and one extraction that I drove 3 hours through a snow storm for. Do I LIKE going to the dentist? Most definitely not but for optimal health it’s a necessity.
Poorly cared for teeth and gums can lead to serious heart disease and other life compromising health issues. Brushing and flossing at home only goes so far. A family dentist is as necessary as a family doctor, plumber and mechanic. His name and number should be on your refrigerator.
But what if your knees turn to jelly, your chin starts to quiver, your palms sweat and you huddle in the corner at just the mention of a dentist visit? You are not alone. However there are some techniques I’ll mention in this article that can get you into his chair with a little preplanning and communication.
Dental phobia can usually be traced back to an unpleasant or painful experience during childhood or experience you may only have heard about from someone else. The biggest fear is the fear of PAIN. Other common fears are:
- loss of control
- fear of the drill
- the noise, smell or sound of the dentist office
- gagging and choking fear
- fear of not being numb during the work
- panic attack
- reaction to local or other anesthetic side effects
- loss of personal space
Some symptoms of dental phobia:
- Inability to sleep the night before dentist visit
- Increasing nervousness in the waiting room
- Crying or feeling ill with thought of visit
- Difficulty breathing when leaning back in the dental chair
It’s time to tackle your fear. REMEMBER – prevention is the best tool for minimizing painful dental visits. Taking care of your teeth today with regular check ups and cleaning can prevent tooth and gum problems that will require more extensive time in the chair later on.
Psychologically you can start to tackle your fear by getting recommendations from friends or family members who have a dentist they like and trust. Make an appointment to meet with the dentist and discuss your fears. Tell him your concerns and communicate what your expectations are – that if you signal for him to stop what he is doing he will STOP, that if you are experiencing pain you will let him know and he will take other steps to alleviate it. Tell him you want to know before hand what he is going to do, show you what it involves and what you can expect. Communication is essential. It is absolutely essential that you develop rapport with your dentist. Rapport builds TRUST. There is a great website called www.dentalfearcentral.org. From this site you can download a form called “Handle Me With Care”. There are statements to circle that you would like to have your doctor know about your phobia. There are also support groups on that site. Check it out.
Environmentally the office should be comfortable, soft music, pleasant colors, art work (NOT scary dental photos), dental tools out of your line of vision. Ask if you can use your I-Pod or MP3 player while he is working. Some offices have something called B-Calm, an MP3 player with prerecorded sounds, waterfalls , tropical breezes, etc.
There are new inventions that make treatment relatively painless. I also HATE needles and for me the numbing is the worst part of the visit. My dentist uses a topical gel to numb the gum BEFORE injecting the anesthetic. He also knows to keep the needle out of my sight. Some dentists are using a new tool called a WAND which delivers anesthetic to the tooth/gum area under low pressure, slowly without the feel of the needle. The WAND is especially effective when used in tender areas that need to be numbed like the roof of the mouth. Inhalation sedation is an option to help you relax and IV sedation is available for lengthy procedures.
Finally let’s talk about some coping practices now that you are in the chair…………
- Distract yourself by playing mental games, counting, listening to music or audio books while in the chair.
- Distance yourself – think about some pleasant place you have been. Picture it. Walk through it in your mind.
- Self talk – tell yourself you can be strong
- Be optimistic – repeat to yourself that you ARE in control. You trust your dentist and that everything will be ok after this is over.
- If you need to go over the procedure with the dentist, if you need to reaffirm that with a agreed upon signal he will STOP if you need him to stop, take the time to do it.
Remember – you can minimize the amount of time and the severity of treatments needed with PREVENTION. Twice a year cleanings and annual x-rays can catch problems when they are small and easily corrected. Keep your mouth healthy between visits by twice a day brushing and flossing. Your health could depend on it.
Think about it.