Dental Phobia, also known as Odontophobia, Dent phobia, Dentist phobia, Dental anxiety and Dental fear, is very common. A lot of people feel that they are alone in their fear of the dentists, but actually it is a very common problem. Statistics suggest that in America alone, up to 75 % of adults have a fear of the dentist. This can result in patients putting of their appointments to the dentist and this becomes a vicious cycle of only visiting to solve a problem, usually being pain, resulting in negative association with dental visits.
Causes of Dental Phobia:
Direct experience is usually a cause of dental fear. If someone has had a bad experience in the past, for example, a very painful or traumatic experience, then this will cause them to be fearful of future visits. Another contributing factor is the nature of the dentist. If an dentist is considered by the patient to be uncaring, cold, uninterested or impersonal this can make them feel nervous and uncomfortable and can add to the fear factor, even if the actual experience is not painful.
Indirect experiences are also a cause of dental fear. Vicarious learning, meaning that you can gain a fear of something, just from hearing about someone else’s bad or negative experience, and take on their fear and negativity towards a particular subject. The media also have a large part to play in influencing peoples opinions and feeling towards the dentist. Dentists are often portrayed in cartoons and films in a negative manor, and treatments are often seen in films as torture methods, exaggerating pain and gore levels therefor giving people a totally unreal view of the situation.
Another reason people may fear the dentist is the pure lack of control. If people feel they are not in control of what is going on around them this can lead to high anxiety levels and again, create fear in the mind of the patient. Again this is an unfounded fear, as a dentist would not perform any treatment or procedure with out the patient being fully comfortable and happy before proceeding.
Parrock Dental’s Nervous Patient Clinic:
Here at Parrock Dental we do our very best to make sure that all of our patients feel comfortable and at ease in our practice at all times, and try to make visits to the dentist an enjoyable experience.
If you consider yourself to be a nervous patient then we can arrange for you to come to visit us before you have an appointment with the dentist. On this visit we will give you a tour of the practice, introduce you to some of our wonderful members of staff and you can discuss any treatment you may be interested in, in a non-clinical environment over a cup of tea.
Our aim is to put you at ease with your surroundings before we book you in to see the dentist. On the day of your first dental appointment you will be seen by one of our lovely dentists, who are all trained in dealing with nervous patients. They will explain what they are doing every step of the way, so you feel totally in control, and we will discuss in detail, any treatment options with you so that you fully understand your proposed treatment.
If you are interested in booking an appointment, do not hesitate to contact our fantastic reception team on 01474 537 191 who will be happy to book you in for an appointment or a tour of the practice. If you have any other questions or queries, then do not hesitate to contact us, as we are here to help!!