Fear Of The Dentist

Fear and anxiety of the dentist and dental treatment are both significant characteristics that contribute to avoidance of dental care.

Anxiety associated with the thought of visiting the dentist for preventive care and over dental procedures is referred to as dental anxiety. It has been cited as the fifth-most common cause of anxiety. Phobia is persistent, unrealistic, and intense fear of a specific stimulus, leading to complete avoidance of the perceived danger.

Both dental anxiety and fear evoke physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioural responses in an individual. This is a frequently encountered problem in dental practices. Anxiety is often closely linked to painful stimulus and increased pain perception.

There are a number of options open to people who are frightened of attending a dentist.

• Sedation it may be intravenous sedation where a tranquiliser is injected into the vein, the patient will be relaxed and the dentist can carry on his work. The sedation may be by inhalation, in this situation a gas nitrous oxide and oxygen is inhaled through a mask, this procedure is often use for children. Oral sedation which involves ingestion of medication.
• General anaesthesia which is the last procedure to be used for some patient.
• Hypnosis and psychotherapy a patient may attend a few hypnotherapy sessions before attending the dentist

Proper evaluation of the patient and identifying their source and level of anxiety can enable the dentist in deciding a proper treatment plan.

In our practice all the dental team from the receptionist and the nurses to the dentists will create for you a good atmosphere to relax and to forget your anxiety and fear.

A good patient–dentist relationship is crucial for the management of your anxiety. Our skilled dentists have good communication strategies enabling you to find your comfort.

All successful treatment will rest on dentist–patient cooperation, and thus a relaxed patient will obviously result in a less stressful atmosphere for the dental team and better treatment outcomes.