Fear of dental treatment. Dentophobia: causes, symptoms and treatment of fear of the dentist

Aren't you afraid of dentists? You were either very lucky with the doctor, or you have never been to the dentist's office. But for those who are planning to sit in the dental chair in the near future, our advice is dedicated.

Tip 1. Remember that beauty requires sacrifice. What is better - to wait for 30 minutes or to surprise others with a clumsy tooth and putrid breath?

Tip 2. First, go to the dentist with someone from your family who is currently undergoing treatment. Get used to the clinic atmosphere.

Tip 3. Don't start problems. Often the cause of fear is a previously experienced severe toothache. If you regularly go for examinations to the dentist (once every six months) and treat your teeth step by step, on time and without complications, then you will very soon learn to trust your doctor.

Tip 4. When planning an appointment with a doctor, make an appointment in advance and immediately warn over the phone that you are a “difficult patient”, you can then run away, that you are afraid and do not intend to treat anything on your first visit, you would just like to discuss with doctor your treatment. A good and experienced dentist will treat your problem carefully. If at the first meeting with the doctor you did not find understanding with him, do not go to him again - it is already useless! Go to someone else. You have every right to discuss with your doctor what methods of overcoming fear exist in general and which one is acceptable in your case.

Tip 5. Be careful with solving the problem of “relieving anxiety” on your own. All kinds of sedative tablets, tinctures, extracts, syrups (all oral remedies) are far from an ideal sedative. For each person, the sedative effect of the drug occurs after a different time and can also last for a different time - it all depends on the general condition of the body, metabolic characteristics, on what and when they ate and sang - everything is purely individual. And calculating the exact moment when the effect of the medicine will be maximum, and even so that at that very moment you are sitting in the dental chair, is almost impossible.

Tip 6. It is quite possible that, based on the results of your “preliminary conversation,” the doctor will offer an intravenous sedative injection before treatment. In most cases, this is the most effective option - the patient does not sleep, but is relaxed and calm. Moreover, this method of overcoming fear is a good treatment for dental phobia in principle. That is, the next time you come to see a doctor more confidently and calmly - your body will remember that it wasn’t so scary!

Tip 7. Another way to overcome your fear of the dentist may seem too simple to you. But, nevertheless, it helps so many sufferers! The secret is that you need to bring a loved one whom you trust very much into the office. Mom or dad, wife or beloved husband, older brother, younger sister, beloved aunt or just a close friend.

Tip 8. The whole secret is in the “right” dentist. Until you find exactly your doctor, you are unlikely to be able to overcome your fear of the dentist. So, first try to find out among your friends if they have a very professional and responsive doctor whom they have been going to for several years.

Tip 9. Don’t discount this absolutely drug-free way to overcome your fear, like just talking about this problem! You may even have to seek help from a psychologist.

If you are afraid to go to the dentist, if the fear of the dentist’s office brings you to a state of horror, and at the mere memory of the sound of a drill you are ready to faint, then it is possible that you have dentophobia or a fear of dentists. And that means this article was written just for you: you will find out why people are afraid of dentists, how you can overcome this fear and how to properly prepare yourself for going to the dentist.

What is child phobia - just fear or a disease?

Everyone gets nervous before visiting a dental office.

Some people simply experience slight nervousness and discomfort, while others are terrified of even the thought of visiting a dentist, and the mention of a drill makes such a person hysterical. It is in the latter case that dental phobia occurs (synonyms for this concept are also the terms odontophobia and dental phobia) or panic fear of visiting the dentist.

This serious pathology should be distinguished from the usual fear of dentists, which almost any person experiences in the dentist's chair. It manifests itself in attacks of uncontrollable fear, hysteria up to loss of consciousness. People suffering from hypertension may experience hypertensive crises or angina attacks. Such patients are usually not contactable, and even the most experienced doctor is unable to find a common language with them.

Severe fear of dentists is not a very common phobia. According to statistics, about 5-7% of patients suffer from dental phobia

Most often, people with dental phobia go to the dentist only in advanced cases. For example, when a tooth hurts so much that painkillers do not help, or a decayed tooth prevents you from speaking normally and eating fully.

Why am I afraid to go to the dentist or where do my fears come from?

The very first and most important point that allows you to overcome your fear of dentists is understanding the cause such a problem. Each of those suffering from dental phobia has its own personality, but in general, the factors that provoke the phobia are quite similar.

1. Extremely negative previous experience dental treatment. Representatives of the older generation probably remember the “Soviet standards” of providing dental care: a roaring drill, minimal anesthesia (or even its absence), an unpleasant taste in the mouth after arsenic. At the same time, treatment of one tooth most often took place in several visits, which also did not give patients positive emotions. All this contributed to the development and strengthening of fear of the dentist, and subsequently to the formation of severe phobias.
2. At the present stage, dentistry offers patients a huge number of new services, many of which have foreign and incomprehensible names (for example, Opalescence, White light or Zoom). Exactly this unknown leads to the fact that a person is afraid to go to the dentist. Trying to find information on the Internet can often worsen the phobia due to negative reviews and comments from “experts” that frighten patients on dental resources.
3. Many people are afraid to go to the dentist due to bad teeth. This fear is often fueled by some doctors who criticize the patient’s attitude towards his own health. The result is a vicious circle: the worse the condition of the teeth, the more pronounced the phobia becomes.
4. Some women are afraid go to the dentist for a man. This is due to the fact that representatives of the fair sex are embarrassed to look funny with their mouths wide open. In addition, a visit to the dentist's office implies restrictions on the use of decorative cosmetics, which also confuses some ladies.
5. If a child is afraid to have his teeth treated, then in some cases the cause of this phenomenon should be sought in parental behavior. Moms and dads (who sometimes suffer from dental phobia themselves) tell their children that if they misbehave, the doctor will pull or drill their teeth. This is done so that the child sits calmly in line in front of the dentist’s office. As a result, children begin to fear even the simplest and most harmless dental procedures. And neither a teenager nor an adult can overcome such fear, rooted in childhood.

In addition to the reasons listed above, dental phobia can be caused by mental illness or low pain threshold. Sometimes a similar problem occurs during pregnancy, when the expectant mother is afraid because the treatment may harm her baby.

How to stop being afraid of the dentist?

How not to be afraid of the dentist? This is the most important question for a person suffering from dental phobia. It becomes especially acute when it is no longer possible to delay a visit to the dentist.

Advice from a psychologist will tell you how not to be afraid of the dentist and overcome dental phobia forever.

1. First of all, need to figure it out about what exactly you are afraid of. To do this, you can create a table that will help you determine the type of fear. In the first column you need to enter a possible version of the phobia, and opposite each item put a number from 1 to 4, where a four will correspond to the concept “I’m incredibly afraid,” a three will correspond to “I’m very afraid,” a two will mean “I have moderate fear,” and one will correspond to “not I'm completely afraid." For example:

   Fear Option	Fear level from 1 to 4
   I'm afraid to remove a tooth	4
   I'm afraid to drill my teeth	3
   I'm afraid of an injection at the dentist	2
   I'm afraid to remove the nerve from a tooth	2
   I'm afraid of anesthesia	1
   I'm afraid to pull out my wisdom teeth	4
   I'm afraid to get a dental implant	2
   I'm afraid to remove a tooth with a cyst	4
   I'm afraid to remove tartar	1
   I'm afraid to treat my front teeth	2

   
   It is necessary to carry out such a test in a calm environment, honestly writing out all your fears.
2. The second stage is analyze the resulting list and try to figure out what exactly scares you in each specific case and what could have caused this phenomenon.

   For example:

   • I'm afraid to pull out a tooth because I'm afraid of the pain. I already had a tooth removed once without anesthesia, and it was very painful.
   • I am afraid to remove tartar because I am ashamed that my teeth are very neglected. Last time, the dentist lectured me for a long time and reproached me for not taking care of my health at all.
   • I am afraid when my teeth are drilled because the sound of the drill working is unpleasant to me. As a child, my parents always scared me with her.

   Often such a simple technique is enough to get rid of the fear of the dentist. If it is impossible to deal with the problem on your own, then you can visit the doctor with this list from whom you plan to undergo treatment and get advice regarding your fears and their reality.

It often helps to overcome the fear of dentists preliminary consultation with the dentist. Most clinics provide their patients with the opportunity to communicate with a surgeon or therapist, during an appointment with whom existing dental problems are discussed and ways to eliminate them are discussed. You can ask the doctor all your questions, as well as ask for clarification regarding all diagnostic and therapeutic measures. Anesthesia issues are also discussed, as well as possible alternative therapeutic techniques. A trusting relationship with a doctor largely determines success in the fight against dental phobia. If the patient trusts the attending physician, then he will more quickly relax in the dental chair and cease to feel fear.

Don't delay visit to the dental office. Over time, the fear may not become less, but the condition of the teeth will be much worse.

Before visiting your doctor, try have a good rest and sleep. The night before, you can take glycine or use folk remedies with a sedative effect (infusion of valerian or motherwort). Before visiting the dentist, do not plan any important events that could cause additional stress.

How to overcome fear of the dentist - a view from the other side

Dentophobia is not only a problem for patients. This phenomenon also applies to doctors, who must decide what to do with a person who needs to undergo some kind of medical procedure (for example, remove a nerve or pull out a rotten tooth), but he is deathly afraid to sit in a dental chair.

A good surgeon, therapist or dental technician will first talk with the patient to find out the level of his fear, and will also listen to what specifically worries the person and what his phobias are associated with. He will explain in detail what this or that procedure is called and what its essence is.

In general, modern dentistry is aimed at maximizing stress reduction in people when visiting the dental office. For this they widely use:

1. A background of light classical music or natural noises that promote relaxation and calm.
2. Some clinics are equipped with video glasses, thanks to which the patient can be distracted by watching an interesting film while the dentist is working.
3. In special cases, dental treatment under anesthesia is used.

Cases of severe dental phobia are corrected by a psychotherapist using various therapeutic techniques.

Dentophobia in children

Dentophobia occurs much more often in children than in adults. This is explained by the lability of children's emotions and the lack of previous experience of visiting the dentist. This phobia manifests itself especially hard in children aged 2 to 5 years, since at this age children are not yet able to control their emotions and actions, they are poorly accessible to contact and cannot fully talk about their experiences and fears.

In most cases, dental phobia in children is caused by the first unsuccessful trip to the dentist.

Children's dental phobia has the same reasons as the adult version of fear:

• fear of the unknown;
• fear of pain;
• negative previous experience of visiting not only a dentist, but also a doctor of another specialization;
• misbehavior of parents.

How to rid a child of fear?

If a child is afraid of the dentist, then most likely the reason will be an unpleasant first interaction with a doctor of this specialty. It is the first visit to the dentist that will shape a little person’s future attitude towards dentistry.

Overcoming dental phobia will be facilitated by:

• Maximum contact between the doctor and the young patient. The level of fear in a child will be significantly reduced if, before treatment, you give him a short excursion, during which you can show him the office, tell him about the instruments, show pictures about his teeth and their treatment.
• Application of anesthesia in dental treatment.
• Use of modern silent therapeutic techniques. The absence of unpleasant sensations, the sound of a drill, and the short duration of procedures are the main enemies of children's fear.
• Using multimedia devices, thanks to which a small patient can listen to pleasant music, an audio story, or watch a favorite cartoon and take his mind off the treatment procedure itself and the negative emotions associated with it.
• Correct behavior of parents. If mom or dad feel nervous and anxious in front of the dentist's office, then this feeling is passed on to the child, and he instinctively begins to be afraid. Sometimes the strengthening of a phobia can be facilitated by harmless at first glance phrases “don’t be afraid”, “it won’t hurt”, “it’s not scary”, which are pronounced with the aim of calming down and which can have the opposite effect. Before the dentist's office, parents' behavior should be natural, and it is better not to make a big deal out of the visit itself. This is necessary so that the child feels from childhood that taking care of the health of his teeth is a common thing.

Fortunately, most children quickly adapt and stop feeling afraid. With the correct behavior of the doctor and parents, for young girls and boys, treatment of baby teeth, and subsequently primary teeth, will be an interesting and exciting adventure.

Are you afraid to have your teeth treated? If yes, then especially for you we have collected the most common fears associated with dentistry, as well as facts that will allow you to overcome them.

1. I'm afraid to treat my teeth during pregnancy - it could harm the baby. This is one of the most dangerous fears, since any rotten tooth, even if it does not hurt, is a source of chronic infection, which can easily penetrate the child and cause serious congenital health problems. Ideally, teeth should be treated at the preconception stage, but if a woman is already pregnant and needs dental treatment, then it is absolutely impossible to refuse it. Modern dentistry has tools and materials that are absolutely safe for the health of both mother and baby.
2. I’m afraid of pain at the dentist, but I’m even more afraid of treating my teeth with an injection - what if the injection itself becomes painful or doesn’t work. This fear originates from a time when anesthetics were extremely imperfect. Previously, the usual Novocaine or Lidocaine was used for pain relief, which required a fairly large dosage, did not act immediately, and the duration of their effect was very short. Modern drugs, such as Articaine (in Ultracaine, Ubestezin, Septanest) and Mepivacaine (in Scandonest) require minimal dosages for treatment, are highly effective and have a long-lasting effect. In addition, they are safe and can be used in people with various pathologies of the cardiovascular system and even in children or pregnant women.
3. I'm afraid to remove the nerve from the tooth, but it hurts. Ignoring the symptoms of pulpitis can lead to serious consequences, including tooth loss. Depulpation or removal of the dental nerve is one of the stages in the treatment of such pathology. Until recently, such a procedure lasted for several days and was extremely painful: the doctor opened the dental canals and the cavity of the tooth root, put arsenic in them, put a temporary filling and released the patient until the next visit. In 2-3 days, the dental nerve had to die, and this process was often accompanied by excruciating pain that could not be relieved even with strong painkillers. Today there is no need to carry out such a procedure. Modern local anesthetics allow you to remove the nerve within 30 minutes and without the slightest discomfort.
4. I want to whiten my teeth, but I'm afraid that the whitening procedure is unsafe for the enamel. The fear of treating teeth darkening using Air flow, Opalescence, White Light or Zoom techniques appeared among the population not very long ago. Many people want to give their teeth a white tint, but are afraid that their teeth will be exposed to chemicals. Modern whitening technologies are safe when carried out correctly. In order to get a guaranteed positive result, you should choose a clinic with extensive experience, which has modern equipment, certified consumables and only positive reviews from real clients.
5. I need to treat caries, but I'm afraid to drill my teeth. Preparation or drilling of teeth using a noisy drill is one of the horrors of Soviet dentistry that many remember. And it is because of this sound that many people put off visiting the dentist. But modern clinics can offer alternative options: chemical and ultrasonic tooth preparation. Such techniques are absolutely silent and do not cause discomfort or pain. They are also effective and allow the doctor to fully clean carious cavities and fill defects in dental tissue.
6. The doctor insists on replacing the front tooth with a dental implant, but I am afraid of such a procedure. Dental implantation or implantation of an artificial tooth root into bone tissue is one of the most modern procedures that allows you to restore lost teeth. Implants are highly aesthetic, they are durable (they do not have to be replaced every 5-10 years) and completely replenish the dentition. Implantation technologies are developed very precisely and operations are always carried out after computer modeling - i.e. The approach to each patient is always individual. In addition, the implantation is carried out only under anesthesia and after the engraftment process it is not felt at all.

As can be seen from the article, fear of dentists is a very common phenomenon that can and should be combated. The main thing is not to let everything take its course and not to forget that it is much easier to keep your teeth healthy if you regularly visit the dentist and follow all his recommendations.

Comments and reviews 73

In Novosibirsk, Novocaine and Ledocaine are still used. Where can I find a clinic with Articaine?

Hello. I am 14 years old and I have been terribly afraid of dentists since childhood. I admit that I let my teeth slide! There is not a single healthy one. Of these, 3 have pulpitis. I live in a small provincial town where there is no treatment under anesthesia. I am very afraid of an injection in my gums. Maybe you can help me somehow overcome my fear.

The dental nerves should not be triggered. Believe me, I am also a person who is scared to death of dental treatment. But! If you neglect them, the treatment will become much longer and more painful. Moreover, the injection into the gum lasts five seconds (well, yes, it hurts a little, but it’s better to endure five seconds than to then endure treatment that lasts three days).

It is possible to use a topical anesthetic before the injection itself. In the arsenal of dentists there is a special anesthetic gel with a pleasant smell, which is applied to the gums so that all further manipulations are not felt at all. And if there is no pain, then there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of. It’s worth signing up for a professional oral hygiene procedure on your first visit, the doctor will clean your teeth of plaque, this will increase the effectiveness of subsequent treatment, and you will be calmer, since you will have a trusting relationship with the doctor and the knowledge that now visiting the dentist is painless.

I am 22 years old. I'm afraid to have my tooth repaired. It is repair, not treatment. That moment when they drill a tooth and the vibration makes you feel dizzy and your vision goes dark. What to do in this situation?

It is worth choosing a doctor with whom you can establish contact and have the maximum degree of trust. During appointments, many clinics use television or music to distract attention. Since treatment using modern anesthetics is painless, this should be sufficient. In the evening, the day before treatment, you can take a Novopassit or Persen tablet. The main thing to remember is that the longer the problem is postponed, the more serious it becomes.

I'm 14. I want to admit that I very rarely brush my teeth. It has gotten to the point where when brushing my teeth I bleed and some teeth have some sort of black coating on them. There is most likely a hole on one of the teeth, because that is where food gets stuck. And most likely the hole is already large; the food has been stuck for more than 3 months. The strangest thing is that nothing hurts me. I'm afraid to go to the doctor. I do not know what to do. I live in Moscow, my parents take me to a private clinic. I didn't ask if there were drills there without sound. There are no televisions there. They always treat these unpleasant sounds, anesthesia does not help (It helps, but I still feel it, there is pain). I do not know what to do. I understand that I need to tell my parents that they need to go to the doctor, but I’m afraid. Help.

Often we instill fears ourselves. It’s worth starting with professional oral hygiene. During this procedure, your teeth will be cleaned completely painlessly using special products to remove accumulated plaque, and products to combat bleeding are recommended. It will be much easier to keep your teeth clean in the future. And after this visit, the fear will be much less. As for treatment, very good painkillers and means are now used so that even the injection is not felt. If the sound scares you, you can ask the doctor to turn on the radio or your favorite music. The result will depend on your mood; the calmer the state, the faster and more comfortable the treatment will be. And the problem, which has been put off for years, only gets worse, and treatment becomes more difficult and longer.

I’m 15 years old and most of my teeth are destroyed, I don’t have a single tooth that’s intact, I’m embarrassed about it, but I’m scared to death to go to the dentist, because I really feel everything. And there was one moment when I had a decayed tooth with inflammation removed, I was given 4 anesthesias and I felt everything, I asked to stop the procedure because I was losing consciousness from the pain, the doctor refused me and for 5 minutes I endured and eventually lost consciousness. Then, when treating another inflamed tooth, I was given 4 anesthetics and again I felt everything, and we never finished the tooth because I lost consciousness again. And now, after all this, I’m afraid to even walk past the dentist, but I need to treat 2 front teeth and all the others, since soon I will be left without teeth. Please advise what should I do?

Very often, anesthesia does not work well in the presence of an advanced inflammatory process. And also against the backdrop of strong anxiety. During your first examination by a dentist, you need to tell us about your individual characteristics; you will be recommended premedication (this is preparation for dental treatment with the help of specially selected drugs). If the problem is not addressed, it will only get worse. Also now there is dental treatment under anesthesia, it is very often used in such cases when major intervention is necessary.

I’m 13 years old, over the New Year holidays I ate too much sweets, my teeth hurt very badly, it seems that 3 are loose (all my teeth are molars). I am very afraid of teeth, I come to the office and immediately feel bad! Tell me, please, what can be done?

A dental examination is necessary, because the longer you delay the visit, the more problems can accumulate. Perhaps now no help will be needed, and everything will be limited to an inspection. It is necessary to at least take an x-ray to make sure whether these teeth are permanent. Mobility of permanent teeth at such a young age is a very rare occurrence and may be a symptom of a general somatic disease (for example, diabetes). A large amount of sweets eaten cannot directly affect the condition of your teeth so quickly. Caries and its complications occur when carbohydrates and microflora remain on the surface of tooth enamel for a long time and destroy it.

Allergic reactions of the body to anesthetics are very important; doctors, without asking anyone about anything, invite them into the chair, and if something happens to the patient, who will help him. I used to have my teeth removed a couple of times under lidocaine, the product helped me a lot, but one day I came to the FGD and before the procedure they sprayed my throat with lidocaine, left me and left for a while, just at that moment I felt very bad, I fell, but then everything was the same It passed quickly, but I still have a fear of anesthesia and it’s not weak, but the doctors don’t want to understand this, which is why there is a desire to subject these dentists to such executions that they themselves faint from horror. I have never seen anywhere where they test for the reaction of anesthesia, in Europe I watched the news - they are switching from anesthetics to hypnosis, until such a practice reaches our clinics, I will definitely prepare my food in a blender and take it through a straw.

In the event that an allergic reaction has occurred, it is necessary to undergo additional examination. In accordance with the order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 380, a dentist does not have the right to conduct allergy tests; these manipulations are carried out in allergy centers. There is a ready-made panel for diagnosing tolerance to dental anesthetics. In our country, methods such as hypnotherapy are practiced, but with the help of this method only preventive manipulations are performed (professional oral hygiene, whitening, for example). And since in most European countries all patients are encouraged to undergo regular prophylaxis, treatment with strong local anesthetics is used to a lesser extent. In our country, prevention is used in an extremely small number of patients, and to a greater extent the treatment of already neglected teeth.

I'm very scared to go to the dentist. I can't overcome my fear. If I go to the dentist, I faint and I also have great sensitivity. And now I’m sitting here with a toothache, and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what can help either. Doctors don't do it under general anesthesia. What can you suggest?

Yes, in case of extreme measures, dental treatment under general anesthesia is possible. Nowadays, medicine has made great strides forward; dentistry uses the strongest painkillers, but the patient does not feel anything. You can also consult a neurologist, he will prescribe medications for premedication. Most clinics have televisions in the office to provide distraction.

Fear of the dentist or dentophobia (stomatophobia) is common to many people. They simply have a pathological fear of visiting a dental clinic. And here about dentists. In everyday terms, they are all “dentists”. However, this is not quite true.

The dentist has secondary specialized training and does not undertake the treatment of complex diseases of the oral cavity. A dentist has a higher medical education and practically treats all dental diseases. This is the difference.

Dentophobia affects all people, young and old. Children and adults, especially women, are afraid. According to statistics, one in ten people is afraid of going to the dentist. The reason is acute toothache, when, for example, they start drilling a diseased tooth. There is simply no strength to bear it. Isn’t it true that this feeling is familiar to everyone?

Although nowadays there are painkillers, when treatment occurs completely without pain, some people even “on pain of death” refuse to go to the “dentist”. This is already a pathological form of fear of the dentist, requiring adjustment of the psycho-emotional sphere.

As a result of research, it was found that dental phobia occurs:

• Hereditary. May be associated with abnormal intrauterine development of the fetus. When a child is born, at the genetic level he has already formed a persistent fear of all kinds of pain. This is a serious deviation in mental development. Only a psychotherapist can help get rid of such pathology. Provided that the patient works hard on himself and takes psychotherapeutic procedures seriously.
• Acquired in the course of life. The most common. The reason for such a phobia is a negative experience from visiting the dentist’s office, for example, in childhood. The severe pain when a tooth was torn or drilled remains in my memory. In the future, there is a fear of going to the dentist, although dental “suffering” bothers me. This has serious health consequences.
• Born of imagination. The man was told that “teeth extractors” do not know pity, they get pleasure when they pull teeth and see how a person screams in pain. The media can also “add fuel to the fire.” Sometimes articles appear that negatively highlight the work of dental offices. For example, a man was given a painkiller injection, but he took it and died. After reading this, a person is afraid to visit the dentist. Such a far-fetched phobia can be removed without contacting a psychologist; it is enough to undergo treatment with an attentive, qualified dentist. Fear will recede and be forgotten.

It is important to know! People suffering from dental phobia turn to the dentist only when the pain can no longer be tolerated. A late visit to the dentist can cause serious health problems.

Causes of fear of the dentist

We have already found out that the mechanism of development of fear, which determines the fearful behavior of children and adults in the dentist’s office, depends on internal and external factors. Let us consider the reasons for the development of dental phobia in childhood and adulthood in more detail.

Reasons for fear of the dentist in children

Another possibility is that parents were unable to encourage their child to endure a painful visit to the dentist. An unusual view of a doctor’s office, a drill that requires you to open your mouth wider, and an unfamiliar guy painfully poking around with a buzzing needle - such bad impressions can last for many years. And now there is a ready-made phobia - fear of the dentist.

The cause of children's fear can also be an association with something generally scary that threatens life. This is already in the area of ​​deviations in mental development, here you need to show the child to a psychiatrist.

Before taking a child to the dentist, it is necessary to prepare him for a stable perception of the painful procedure. Here it is quite appropriate, for example, to say: “You are a brave person and are not at all afraid of pain.” Successful dental treatment in childhood will not cause fear of the dentist in the future.

Causes of fear of the dentist in adults

1. Fear of pain. This is when a person, even with light pressure on, say, the wrist, experiences severe pain. Such people are said to have a low pain threshold. What then can we say about going to the dentist’s office? Just the idea of ​​a toothache puts a person into a state of panic.
2. Blood intolerance. At the sight of it, a person may lose consciousness. During dental treatment, blood is often spat out with saliva. This is a reason not to go to the dentist.
3. Pathology in mental development. Mental abnormalities make a person afraid to visit any doctors, including the dentist.

• Unsuccessful treatment experience. To a greater extent, this is due to the negligence of the attending physician. He didn’t warn me that it would hurt, but he should have given a painkiller injection. A nerve was touched, the man could not stand it and screamed. This is how my fear of visiting the dentist developed.
• Bad teeth. A person has sick, rotten teeth, he is ashamed to show them, therefore he is afraid of dentists.
• Women are afraid of male dentists. Some representatives of the fair sex do not want to lose their dignity in men's eyes. And then “open” your mouth and show your teeth. How “beautiful” they will look with bad teeth! This situation is very comical, but it is typical for other ladies.
• Bad reviews about dentists. They can be both at the everyday level - “a neighbor said”, and in the media, when, for example, newspaper articles tell “horror stories” about fatal cases associated with visiting a dental clinic.
• Unsuccessful treatment with one doctor, fear of going to the dentist. The pain that a patient has experienced, say, during a surgical operation, makes him afraid of all other doctors.
• A person feels helpless in the dentist's office. He is not the master of his situation, he is told what to do, and even sit with his mouth open... This causes serious discomfort, and there is a reluctance to go to the dentist.

It is important to know! Only a thorough “debriefing” of where and why the fear of dental treatment came from will help you understand how to get rid of dental phobia.

Manifestations of dental phobia in humans

1. State of panic. The mere thought of going to get your teeth treated fills you with uncontrollable fear. He is confused, fussing, his arms and legs are shaking.
2. Hypertonicity. When muscle tension increases. This hinders movement, causes discomfort, it seems that the muscles are tight and it is impossible to relax them.
3. Refusal to communicate with the dentist. Even to the detriment of your health. “To hell with everything!” I won't go to the doctor! Your teeth will hurt and maybe it will stop.”
4. Loss of self-control. The fear of seeing a doctor makes you lose objectivity. The pain is unbearable, but going to get your teeth treated is still scary.
5. Headache. Appears when there is severe overstrain of the nervous system from the mere thought that you need to go to the dentist.
6. Heart failure. Occurs during prolonged stressful situations. Let's say a person does not go to an orthopedic dentist to get prosthetics. His teeth are extremely worn down, it is impossible to eat, and he is terrified of the dentist.
7. Stomach upset. Fear of the dentist leads to disruption of the digestive tract. Vomiting and diarrhea, and other problems in the functioning of vital organs may occur.
8. Feeling helpless. Fear of the dentist paralyzes the will; a person feels weak and powerless.

It is important to know! Dentophobia can be treated; for this you need to consult a psychotherapist.

Ways to combat dental fear

Before dealing with dental phobia, you should study the most effective methods. If the neurosis has not gone too far and has not caused much damage to your health, you can try to get rid of the fear of the dentist yourself. Let us consider in more detail the methods of such a struggle.

Independent actions to get rid of dental phobia

Having analyzed all your phobias and identified the most painful ones, you should begin to fight them. And here self-massage, aromatherapy, relaxing music, and other methods of psychotherapy that you can do at home will come to the rescue.

Let’s say, while listening to a relaxing melody, you need to convince yourself that your fear of the dentist is in vain, thousands of people go to have their teeth treated and nothing bad happens to them. This constant exercise will help you banish anxious thoughts and prepare yourself for a “heroic” visit to the dental clinic.

It is important to know! The longer a person delays visiting the dentist, the worse his dental condition will be, and this will affect his health (bad breath, stomach problems, etc.).

Psychotherapy against fear of the dentist

The most successful techniques for combating various phobias are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Gestalt therapy and hypnosis. All of them are aimed at correcting thoughts and behavior. During special sessions, the patient recognizes that the problem exists, comprehends it and reconsiders his attitude towards it. In the subconscious, an attitude is developed and reinforced on how to get rid of dental phobia.

The difference between hypnosis and other techniques is that during hypnotic sessions the idea is instilled and fixed that dental phobia is dangerous and only harms health.

It is important to know! The help of a psychotherapist is needed only when dental phobia has gone too far, and the person suffering from such fear is determined to get rid of it.

Sedation as a method of combating dental phobia

Sedation is the most modern painless method of dental treatment in a half-asleep state. True, it's not cheap at all. Depending on the sedative (calming) drugs used, one hour of treatment can cost from 5 to 9 thousand rubles. The price is influenced by the cost of the medicine, which can be in the form of a cocktail (usually for children), tablets or an injection.

After the administration of sedatives, the patient falls asleep, relaxes and does not feel pain at all. At this time, the doctor treats the teeth. An anesthesiologist is nearby; it is he who monitors the patient’s condition and, when necessary, brings him out of medicated sleep. This method is especially effective when treating children.

Sedation has its own requirements: before the procedure you do not need to eat for 4 hours, you need to make sure that your nose is not stuffy (so that you can breathe easily during sleep). There are restrictions on the use of sedative medications, but they are not as strict as, say, in relation to potent narcotic medications.

Features of the sedation method:

• Herbal sleeping pills are used. For example, based on valerian or motherwort. This does not cause harm to health, and there are no unwanted side effects.
• During treatment, light nap. The patient responds to the doctor's words and follows his instructions. In special cases, sleep can be deep when there is no reaction to the doctor’s words.
• Fear disappears. All worries about dental treatment are forgotten. In fact, the patient is freed from his panic horror of the dentist.

Sedation options may vary:

1. Inhalation. The patient is put on a special mask and breathes a special mixture of nitrogen and oxygen through his nose. This has a calming effect, and all the instructions of the attending physician are followed without fear.
2. Taking sedatives. There may be cocktails or tablets. They are followed by light medicated sleep, which is constantly monitored by an anesthesiologist. The degree of relaxation is higher, but sensitivity to the doctor’s words remains.
3. Intravenous injection. After administration of, say, propofol through a catheter, moderate sleep occurs and the patient may no longer respond to the doctor’s commands. And when the anesthesiologist brings him out of this state, he does not remember the treatment procedure.
4. Deep dream. Similar to anesthesia, but easier to tolerate. The patient is put into this state when it is believed that light medicated sleep will not be effective.

It is important to know! The only significant drawback of sedation is that it is not allowed in all dental clinics, and where it is, it is expensive.

Fear of visiting the dentist is called dental phobia and is an overwhelming fear of dental treatment. It is not for nothing that the name of this phenomenon includes the word “phobia”, which denotes severe fear. Many people with dental phobia prefer not to go to a specialist, but to endure the discomfort caused by toothache. That is why it is important for such people to know how to overcome their fear of the dentist and get rid of oral problems forever.

Fear of the dentist is called dentophobia

Symptoms

It is quite simple to distinguish fear of dentists from natural anxiety before dental treatment. Dentophobia is characterized by an uncontrollable panic fear that can engulf a person at the mere thought of being in a dental chair.

Once at the appointment, such a patient will not be able to overcome his fear and will feel as tense as possible, preventing him from performing medical procedures. Even painless procedures can cause a person to faint due to the inability to overcome fear. The fear of dental treatment affects a patient with dental phobia from one type of dental instruments and injections with anesthesia. There are often cases when the result of such strong fear was injuries received by the doctor due to the patient’s bite or sudden movements of the arms and legs.

Dentophobia is accompanied by the following symptoms, which can appear both together and separately:

• cardiopalmus;
• increased sweating;
• severe anxiety;
• difficulties in contacting the dentist;
• impaired clarity of speech;
• fainting;
• shiver;
• involuntary urination.

It is impossible to overcome a phobia by refusing to visit the dentist and constantly enduring toothache. It is necessary to treat diseases of the oral cavity in a timely manner, otherwise a person may lose teeth and be forced to wear dentures or get implants. Advanced diseases of teeth and gums can lead to serious disruptions in the functioning of all systems of the human body.

This is why patients who are afraid of the dentist need to start fighting their phobia. Today there are many ways that will help a person get rid of the fear of dental treatment forever.

Causes

Fear of the dentist can develop as a result of various factors. The most common situation is the appearance of a phobia after unsuccessful treatment. The painfulness of the procedure or complications arising due to a medical error can leave an indelible mark on the patient’s memory and turn further dental treatment into real torture.

Phobia of dentists may also be associated with the characteristic unpleasant sensations that accompany toothache. The instinct of self-preservation can force a person to refuse treatment, since the teeth are located in close proximity to vital organs: the brain, organs of hearing, smell and vision.

Other people's negative experiences can also cause fear of the dentist. There are often cases when childhood patients adopted fear from parents with dental phobia. At an early age, fear may develop after adults repeatedly intimidate the child with the dentist.

A patient may be afraid of visiting the dentist after bad experiences with other doctors. In this case, we can say that the person is afraid of any medical intervention.

Some people are afraid to go to the dentist because they are ashamed of their poor oral health. Such patients are stopped by what the dentist can decide: the cause of caries and toothache is poor oral hygiene. In such a situation, you should remember: a doctor is a specialist who knows that the causes of dental disease can be varied. A professional in his field will not shame the patient, but will help him choose the right oral care, recommend teeth cleaning and other necessary procedures. Statistics show that this reason for postponing a visit to the dentist appears most often among adults.

Dentophobia often develops in childhood

Some patients associate their phobia with the fear of choking on saliva or special materials needed to install a filling. Fear of anesthesia also stops many people from going to the dentist. Fear of injections often becomes the reason that a person may refuse not only dental treatment, but also many medical procedures that require anesthesia.

An equally common cause of phobia is also a low pain threshold. In such a situation, the patient may ask for an additional dose of anesthesia.

The manifestation of fear of the dentist in another group of people is associated with the fear of contracting infectious diseases during dental treatment. There are known cases of patient infection, but this is extremely rare and should not be a reason to delay tooth extraction.

The following tips will help patients get rid of the fear of visiting the dental office:

• Don't put off visiting the dentist. Ignoring the problem is fraught with worsening of the situation and possible complications, so longer and more painful treatment will be required.
• If the patient understands that he is not able to overcome his phobia on his own, it is recommended to seek advice from a psychologist.
• Before visiting a doctor, you must carefully study the list of dental clinics in order to choose the one that suits the patient according to all the criteria.
• Doctors recommend dental treatment from one specialist. The resident dentist will have more information about the patient's oral health and will be able to select the most appropriate course of treatment. It will also help you overcome your fear of a new dentist.

It is worth remembering that the most effective method to overcome fear of the dentist is regular visits to a specialist and preventive examinations. Any oral disease is much easier to prevent or treat in the initial stages. It is necessary to visit a dentist at least 2 times a year. And it is possible to overcome this fear after visiting a psychologist.

Today is February 9 - Happy Dentist Day to you! Do you think it's a so-so holiday? So you don't like dental clinics.

Dentistry... For many of us, at this very word, our legs give way and our hearts begin to beat wildly in our chests. No amount of persuasion or reasoning can help overcome panic fear. Even acute pain recedes before him. Only, perhaps, a threat to life can motivate some to such a feat - to cross the threshold of a dental office. Until then, they are ready to endure, swallow handfuls of painkillers and harm their health in other ways, just not to treat their damaged teeth.

Why are we so afraid of dentists, what to do about it and whether we can go into the dentist’s office with a smile on our face – says “EasyPolezno”.

Causes of dental phobia

Dentophobia (or dental phobia) is a special type of phobia that is observed in the majority of the population. Despite the fact that each person is unique in his own way, there are a number of fears that are common to everyone. These include, for example, fear of dentistry.

Fear of dental treatment can arise for a number of reasons. Most often, the patient is afraid that he will be hurt. Each person has his own pain threshold and, more importantly, a more or less developed imagination. There are known cases when a person, tormented by panic fear of the pain awaiting him (objectively speaking, quite tolerable), drove himself into a real pain shock!

The worst thing is when the patient is convinced that dental treatment is painful from his own experience. This often happens with children: even a slight pain during the first visit to the dentist’s office can create in the child a persistent hostility towards people in white coats. Under such circumstances, fear may arise even before a simple examination.

Nowadays, there is no need to be afraid of pain: now all dentists use improved drills that create virtually no vibration during drilling and do not irritate the nerve. You can also ask your doctor to give you a painkiller. It would seem that these are obvious things, then why do we still tremble at the thought of visiting the dentist?

Stress holism

There is another opinion regarding the occurrence of fear of dentistry - the concept of stress holism. According to her, dental phobia is just a manifestation of other, deeper and hidden fears, usually associated with an unwillingness to make efforts or endure troubles. In this case, the solution must be sought in changing lifestyle and working with a psychologist.

Some psychologists express the opinion that this phobia is inherited: if parents are afraid to visit the dentist, then it is possible that children will also be afraid of such a procedure.

Fear of the dentist's chair never arises out of nowhere. For example, before visiting the dentist, a person may read about his problem on the Internet and come across heartbreaking descriptions of unpleasant, painful and simply unsuccessful treatment attempts. It is quite natural that this will not add to his self-confidence.

One way or another, dental phobia is, first of all, stress, which is difficult for the human body to tolerate. Overexcited nerves may not be affected by the usual dose of painkiller, and the doctor will either have to inject more, or the manipulations he performs will be extremely painful, which will only increase the fear of further visits to the dental office.

Dental phobia must be combated. Remember your school days: try to treat the upcoming visit to the doctor as an exam or test that you just need to survive!

How to overcome panic fear?

There are two approaches to getting rid of the fear of dentistry:

• psychological therapy;
• sedation using various medications.

In the first case, immediately before the procedure, the patient visits a psychologist. You can contact a specialist privately, or you can, if dentistry provides such services, talk to a staff psychologist. He will reassure the patient and describe in general terms the upcoming treatment procedure, trying to convince him that it is completely painless.

Often such psychologists work in pediatric dentistry. Be sure to make an appointment with him and bring your baby an hour earlier so that he can talk with a psychologist, get used to the clinic environment and calm down.

In the second case, a doctor or pharmacist will help you. Usually, some time before the procedure, the patient is given a special drug that inhibits the activity of the nervous system. After the injection, the person plunges into a state bordering on sleep, into a kind of drowsiness. His pain is reduced, his nervousness disappears, but he can continue to follow the orders of his doctor. Sometimes, instead of injections, inhalations can be used - inhaling nitrous oxide.

However, it is better to try to avoid drug methods - they can have side effects, especially in childhood. It is much safer - and no less effective - to use meditation, self-hypnosis, relaxation techniques, aromatherapy and other non-drug methods of dealing with stress.

To get rid of fear on your own, try to adjust yourself using the following tips:

• Tune in to the fact that in any case you will experience unpleasant sensations. Beauty requires sacrifice. It is better to wait thirty minutes than to show off missing teeth for the rest of your days or become the owner of dentures at the age of thirty or forty.
• When visiting the dentist for the first time, take with you a relative who is already familiar with the procedure and will help you calm down. If the doctor allows it, then it is advisable for this person to be in the office, close to the patient.
• If you have a toothache, do not wait for complications and go to the doctor immediately. This way you will not only save time, nerves and money, but also accustom yourself to regular dental care.
• Before your visit, notify the doctor by phone that you may run away from the procedure or not come to the next appointment due to fear. A sensitive doctor will understand your stress and do everything necessary to alleviate your suffering. If, in your opinion, the doctor is not responsive enough, it is better to look for another one.
• Don't rush into relieving stress with medications. You can get into trouble if the sedative wears off at the most inopportune moment. Do not try to calculate the duration of action of the drug yourself: it is better to contact the pharmacist at the pharmacy where you bought it.
• Ask your family and friends about the dentists they visit, and based on what they say, decide which doctor is best for you.
• Talk about the problem with someone who understands you well, who will help you calm down and find peace of mind.
• Try relaxation techniques: self-hypnosis, meditation, aromatherapy, positive affirmations. Practice in advance to understand which technique works best for you.

It is especially worth noting patients who, in principle, cannot tolerate even minimal pain or are terrified of dental procedures. In this case, general anesthesia is used for the duration of dental procedures. However, this is not a harmless procedure at all, so it is resorted to only as a last resort. General anesthesia should not be given to patients:

• suffering from diabetes mellitus;
• with heart problems;
• with bronchial asthma;
• with obesity;
• with anemia;
• with thrombocytopenia.

Work on your fears and you will definitely achieve results! And your reward will be a beautiful smile in the mirror.