For adults who have dental phobia, most can recall that their fear began after a traumatic or painful dental experience. Although painful or traumatic experiences alone don’t necessarily cause people to develop dental phobia, the patient’s relationship with their dentist plays an important role.
Most of today’s Dentists are sensitive to the concerns of fearful patients. Patients should feel an element of trust and confidence in their Dentist and that their Dentist respects their needs. Dentists who were once considered rough, uncaring, hurried or cold were found to actually contribute to high dental fear in patients, even in the absence of painful experiences. On the flip side, it has been found that those who had painful experiences did not develop dental fear if they felt their Dentist was caring and concerned about their well-being.
A traumatic experience in the past or an uncaring Dentist are not the only instances that can cause dental phobia, however. Other causes can be just hearing about the experiences or negative views of others who had painful dental ordeals; the negative portrayal of dentistry in the media, such as references to something being as painful as a root canal; association with other bad experiences that included doctors or environments with antiseptic smells; people who have been physically or emotionally abused may find the confining chair threatening; people who fear helplessness and lack of control, perhaps from an incident when a Dentist wouldn’t stop even when they were in obvious pain.
Your comfort is always a priority in our office. We offer many options for relaxation, including Oral Sedation. But first and foremost, we respect you as an individual and understand that you want a pleasant experience during every visit. That’s what we strive to give you!
