What Causes Dental Fear?

Dental fear is a major reason why countless individuals all over the world suffer from poor dental health. An anxious patient who suffers from dental fear will find it difficult to go to the dentist for a routine checkup, and may even find ways to avoid going through a dental treatment even if it means solving an existing dental problem. There are various methods available nowadays to make the treatments more comfortable for nervous patients, but understanding where the dental fear came from can also help patients in dealing with their anxieties in a more positive manner.

Common Causes of Dental Fear

Fear of Pain – Going through a painful experience is not a welcome idea to anyone, but it is even more terrifying for a nervous patient. A person suffering from dental fear may have panic attacks with just the idea of going to the dentist’s clinic for a dental checkup or a dental treatment, for fear that every procedure will result to a very painful experience. This fear of pain may be the result of previous experiences that had painful outcomes, or may be influenced by hearing stories detailing how other people have suffered from painful dental treatments. The idea of a painful procedure may also come from hearing the noise made by a dental drill, which can be quite disturbing for a nervous patient.

Previous Negative Experience – Previous experiences influence how a person feels about certain things. If a patient has had a painful or terrifying experience with a treatment, he or she may find it hard to go through another treatment for fear of going through the same thing again. A previous encounter with an unsympathetic dentist may influence a patient to become wary of other dentists, even if he or she plans on going to a different dental clinic.

Embarrassment – An anxious patient may be embarrassed to let other people look at his or her mouth, even if it is a dental professional who has seen his share of a multitude of dental problems. The nervousness may escalate if the patient is aware of existing dental problems such as decayed teeth, bad breath, or gum disease, for fear that poor dental health will be a basis for personal judgment against him or her. The idea of a stranger looking inside one’s mouth and performing a dental treatment can cause an attack of embarrassment which leads to dental fear.

Feeling of Being Helpless – While on a dentist’s chair, a nervous patient may experience a feeling of being helpless and not being able to control anything about the procedure. This feeling of helplessness may also be increased if the patient is not fully aware of what the treatment is about, and what the steps will be for the entire procedure.

a href=http://lifedentalimplants.co.uk/team-dr-azhar-a-u-sheikhDr Azhar Sheikh, founder of Life Dental Implants, is one of the UK’s most experienced dentists specializing in implant treatments.