Dental phobia or dentophobia is defined as the fear of dentists and of dental procedures in general.  It is a very common fear that often involves other fears that are more defined, specific, and individual.  One of these fears is the fear of pain.

Sufferers from this phobia, in terms of their dental health, are unable to visit their dentists because of a prior painful memory when they were young. They remember the visit as a particularly painful one.  This memory manifests later in life as an unconscious desire not to visit the dentist resulting in dental appointments being constantly delayed or missed entirely.

Most people prefer not to suffer pain. For dental phobics, however, just the mere idea of pain is far worse than the actual pain itself. Ironically, because they are unable to regularly visit their dentists, they suffer almost constant pain from their neglected teeth.

It is important to note that the fear of pain from visits to the dentist is often from memories of long ago. These memories tend to become warped over time. Modern dental practices have reduced the pain involved in dental procedures from what they were even as recently as a decade ago.

People afflicted with this type of phobia often do not receive suitable levels of dental care. By not having any sense of relationship with their dentist, they are unable to articulate their fears or get any kind of professional reassurance. By staying away from their dentist, they further increase their fears since nobody is able to provide information that will counterbalance their imaginations. They are stuck with a mental picture of the dentist based on painful childhood memories.

These phobics also miss out on the benefits from the advice, new ideas, and preventative care that dental practitioners offer.

Pain phobics will exhibit symptoms such as shortness of breath, breathing difficulties, and anxiety at the mere thought of visiting the dentist.  What happens is the patient’s brain warns the rest of the body that pain is approaching. However, the problem is that the body’s response to the warning becomes disproportionate to the perceived threat.

Fortunately for these individuals, dentistry has progressed so that efforts are being done to address dental phobia in all its aspects.  Improved treatment modalities are now readily accessible and understandable for most people. Dental professionals are going out of their way to put their patients at ease and make sure that they realize just how valuable customers they are.

With this kind of phobia, which concerns the fear of pain as well as the pain itself, it is vital that patients understand the treatment and care that they can reasonably expect. The solution can be as simple as finding a dental environment where they can relax and be comfortable as much as possible. A well-run dental practice will provide an atmosphere that is calming.  The waiting times will be short, and the reception will be most welcoming.

Other techniques available to these patients include sedation and distraction techniques, which are also used to help people exhibiting more acute phobias.

A number of psychological approaches and techniques have also helped other people cope. These include hypnosis, systematic desensitization, deep breathing, visualization and guided imagery, positive affirmations, and reward systems. There are some therapists specializing in phobias and anxiety disorders who work in tandem with phobic-friendly dentists.

Let Us Help You

Mobile Anesthesia Service Concepts, LLC (MASC) is an anesthesia service that specializes in office-based anesthesia.  We can be found on the World Wide Web at www.masccares.com.

MASC combines outstanding anesthesia practices with techniques that are designed to free the patient’s mind of their fear.

Conditioning the Mind before a Dental Procedure

Dental Phobia – A Guided Meditation for Dental Fear and Anxiety is an audio download designed to help reduce anxiety and fear both consciously and unconsciously through the conditioning of the mind. Instead of having the patient accept fear and anxiety, we are empowering his mind to destroy that fear and anxiety. This results in a reduction of narcotics as well as a decrease in complications postoperatively.

This audio download can help condition your mind for your upcoming dental visit and procedure. If you follow the guidelines as directed by Dr. DeMarco, you will be better prepared, more relaxed and you will be surprised at how well you recover when you take fear and anxiety out of the procedure.

You don’t have to be scared to visit the dentist. Visit our website, read our blog articles about Fear and Anxiety and sample our wonderful audio product, “Dental Phobia – A Guided Meditation for dental fear and anxiety.”

Whatever the individual patient’s situation, there is no reason to avoid visiting the dentist. Whatever course of treatment the patient eventually chooses, bear in mind that the most important thing is to have a dentist who understands and who can help them handle their fears.

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Dental phobia or dentophobia is defined as a general fear of dentists and of dental procedures. It is actually a very common fear that often involves fears that are more defined, specific, and individual. One very specific fear is the fear of being powerless while in the dentist chair.

The phobia effects those people whose personality traits do not permit them to place themselves totally in control of other people, in this case, the dentist. Individuals who are used to controlling their own environments and deciding on their own can often become very difficult patients. The dentist treating these patients has to communicate clearly and react quickly to these patients requests.

For these patients, a controlling personality is just a part of the problem. They are actually nervous and are covering their fears by making outrageous demands on their dentists.

This situation often results in personality clashes between dentists and patients. It is exacerbated when the treating dentist fails to understand that the behavior is because of a phobia. With the breakdown of the patient-dentist relationship, the patient often refuses to continue with the treatment, a condition that is ultimately detrimental to the patient’s health.

Unfortunately, the longer the dental treatment is postponed, the more urgent it becomes. This actually heightens the fear, makes the symptoms more visible, and puts additional strain on an already tenuous relationship.

People with this type of phobia have a tendency to be more argumentative, more demanding, and more challenging than regular patients. This is why some are often tagged as difficult or controlling when, in fact, it is really a coping mechanism. These patients don’t exhibit the classic symptoms of fear, but combined with increased heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and tension, they become increasingly agitated.
In this day and age, it is very fortunate that dentistry has progressed so that efforts are being done to address the problem of this kind of patients. One of the most important approaches being implemented has nothing to do with the patient but with the dentist. Dentists, nowadays, are being trained to have the skills, assurance, and empathy to be able to treat these patients. Dental schools have begun offering courses in behavioral sciences and have put a much greater emphasis on chair-side manner. For a lot of patients, the solution to their fears is simply finding a dentist with the right skills, personality, and technique.
A well-run dental practice will provide an atmosphere that is calming. The waiting times will be short, and the reception will be most welcoming.

Sedation is another option that is viable in some cases. There are two types. One in which the patient is completely unaware of what is happening and another where the patient is sedated just enough so that they can relax and allow the procedure to be completed. A number of psychological approaches and techniques have also helped other people cope. These include hypnosis, systematic desensitization, deep breathing, visualization and guided imagery, positive affirmations, and reward systems. There are some therapists specializing in phobias and anxiety disorders who work in tandem with phobic-friendly dentists.

Eliminate the fear of being powerless during a Dental Procedure.

Dental Phobia – A Guided Meditation for Dental Fear and Anxiety is an audio download that can help you reduce and even overcome your fear of needles and dentistry. This audio download can help condition your mind for your upcoming dental visit and procedure. If you follow the guidelines as directed by Dr. DeMarco, you will be better prepared, more relaxed and you will be surprised at how well you recover when you take fear and anxiety out of the procedure.

You don’t have to be scared to visit the dentist. Visit our website, read our blog articles about Fear and Anxiety and sample our wonderful audio product, “Dental Phobia – A Guided Meditation for dental fear and anxiety.”

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!