Dentophobia is a panic fear of the dentist. As many as 90% of Poles are diagnosed with fear of visiting the dentist. It occurs in both children and adults. People with dentophobia usually see denstist when they need to, skipping check-ups. Therefore, the effects of dentophobia can be severe. Find out what the symptoms of dentophobia are and how to treat it.

Contents:

  1. Dentophobia (fear of the dentist) - causes
  2. Dentophobia (fear of the dentist) - symptoms
  3. Dentophobia (fear of the dentist) - how to treat it?
  4. Dentophobia (fear of the dentist) - effects
  5. Dentophobia (fear of the dentist) in children

Dentophobia , i.e.fear of the dentist , apart from the fear of visiting the dentist, it also includes the fear of procedures performed within the oral cavity, contacting the doctor-dentist, the sound made by the dental equipment, and even making an appointment.

Dentophobia continues to be a current problem affecting a very large number of patients. The fear of visiting the dentist is so strong that people suffering from dentophobia visit the dentist only out of necessity. The most common incentive to make a decision to visit a dentist's office is a toothache that is so severe that it prevents normal functioning. Another stimulus is usually the pressure of the environment.

Dentophobia (fear of the dentist) - causes

The cause of dentophobia is most often unpleasant experiences during visits to the dentist from childhood, panic fear of pain or lack of control over the procedure performed.

Dentophobia (fear of the dentist) - symptoms

The fear accompanying the upcoming visit date causes:

  • indigestion
  • stomach pains
  • diarrhea
  • sleep problems

This fear is accompanied by symptoms typical of phobias, i.e.

  • muscle tremors
  • digestive disorders
  • excessive sweating
  • accelerated heart rate etc.
Worth knowing

According to a survey carried out at the Specialist Clinics Group of the University Teaching Hospital in Białystok, as many as 32.51% of people do not go to follow-up visits1 ! Happensthat's because most people associate the dentist with pain and suffering. Interestingly, studies have shown that women feel more anxious about visiting a dentist, but nevertheless they attend checkups more often than men2 .

According to an expertBow. Roman Borczyk, director of the team of specialists at the Clinic of Implantology and Aesthetic Dentistry borczyk.pl- We can see that Poles still come more often with serious problems than for control visits. We usually visit the dentist when it hurts. The reasons are usually bad childhood experiences and the still prevailing stereotypes that a visit to the dentist's is associated with pain. We also have associations that the office itself scares you away. However, all this is no longer true. Currently, modern methods and technologically advanced equipment make it possible to carry out a painless, fully comfortable treatment, and the offices and a number of amenities make a visit to the dentist's office no longer a traumatic experience.

Dentophobia (fear of the dentist) - how to treat it?

The key to reducing the feeling of fear is to choose a good, nice, proven dentist. When choosing the right doctor, it is worth taking the advice of family or friends.

Building a good relationship with your dentist is also your best bet to get over the panic of the dentist. According to studies conducted by the Clinic of Implantology and Aesthetic Dentistry borczyk.pl, as many as 90.6% of respondents believe that the dentist should prepare the patient for dental treatment and explain its course in order to dispel any doubts and calm the patient1.

It is therefore worth telling the dentist about your fears and negative experiences. This one will certainly select the method of treatment to our needs and will reduce the feeling of pain and uncertainty to a minimum.

To de-stress during the treatment, you can try listening to your favorite music or squeezing anti-stress balls.

It is also worth using modern methods of treatment, thanks to which the treatment will become much more comfortable. Keep in mind that modern anesthesia is very gentle. Properly administered anesthesia does not hurt, and also allows you to eliminate pain throughout the procedure.

Dentophobia (fear of the dentist) - effects

Avoiding dental checkups may result in the development of serious oral infections, caries, and gum and periodontal disease.

People suffering from dentophobia often struggle with the problem of bad breath, despite adhering to household oral hygiene rules. Is itcaused by unremoved tartar and deepening caries. Untreated caries leads to painful inflammation.

Changes in the appearance and condition of the teeth may result from the formation of complexes. For this reason, these people smile less often, as they are ashamed of the appearance of their teeth. In extreme cases, it happens that the teeth are so damaged that they start to crumble or even fall out!

Dentophobia (fear of the dentist) in children

Fear of the dentist very often accompanies a person from an early age. Many adults have negative experiences related to painful and serious childhood dental surgery encoded in their psyche. A traumatic visit is one of the causes of dentophobia. But how to help children avoid such negative experiences?

First of all, do not frighten your child with a dentist. Very often, in response to children's love of sweets or their reluctance to brush their teeth, adults warn the youngest "because we will go to the dentist". In this case, a visit to the dentist is automatically associated with a kind of sentence for the child - quite unnecessarily.

The second thing is pain. It often happens that we go with the child to the dentist when the infection is so serious that drilling or other unpleasant procedures are necessary. After such a relatively terrible method of treatment, the child will be even more negative about further visits.

To help your child become accustomed to the dentist, the best solution is to take him / her to check-ups frequently. Thanks to this, the doctor will check the condition of the child's teeth on an ongoing basis, thus preventing the teeth from being brought to a critical condition. This is a great way to avoid starting your first visit to the dentist's office with a major surgery.

Frequent adaptation visits will also help your child understand that the dentist is not going to hurt anyone, but to treat. When the child sees that nothing is happening to the parents sitting in the dentist's chair, they will certainly be happy to come to their visit.

Sources:

1. Department of Implantology and Aesthetic Dentistry borczyk.pl

2. Magdalena Czerżyńska, Paulina Orłow, Anna Justyna Milewska, Magdalena Choromańska,Dentophobia[in:] "New dentistry" 1/2017

About the authorWeronika RumińskaA graduate of Polish philology with an editorial and publishing specialization at the University of Warsaw. She developed her interests related to the editor's work already during her master's studies, actively cooperating with Poradnikzdrowie.pl on the editorial path and social media. Privately, a lover of goodcrime fiction and horse riding.

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Category:

Psychiatry