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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