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Dental Anxiety
by Community Dental Staff Dentist

You were eating ice cream when a lightening-like sensation suddenly shot up the left side of your face. Sometime later you felt something similar after a glass of juice. Not too long after that, the same area felt achy after a warm cup of tea. This goes on for a few weeks, the intervals getting shorter. Then you start waking up with mouth pain and need ibuprofen to get back to sleep.

Toothache... the thought alone is enough to make many people shudder. Oral pain can be intense, zapping the joy out of life, making eating uncomfortable, interfering with sleep, and worsening in severity with time. The person suffering needs to see a dentist—and they know it. So why do many people with this condition—perhaps even some of you reading this right now—avoid getting care?

Fear. Dental anxiety is fear of going to the dentist, receiving dental care, and dentistry in general. It's more than the nervousness many experience before seeing a healthcare provider. Dental anxiety is a trepidation that causes a person to avoid dental care as much as possible, even altogether. In many cases the patient may delay treatment until the situation becomes an emergency. Dental anxiety can range from mild to severe, affecting women and men, young and mature individuals alike.

If you suffer from any kind of dental phobia, you stand to benefit from interventions specifically designed to help make your visit more comfortable. We offer three tips that have worked for our patients:

• Start by speaking up and informing the staff in advance of any anxiety concerns. Dental office staff is familiar with this concern, and can often tailor your appointment accordingly.
• If possible, schedule the appointment during a time that is least likely to be rushed or complicated with subsequent obligations.
• Consider bringing music to listen to while receiving care. Every person is different, and finding the appropriate solution is easiest with a team approach, so don't hesitate to express all concerns and ask any questions.

Your dentist will be able to create a plan to help you work through the apprehension. Depending on your level of anxiety, treatment may involve behavioral therapy, pharmacological intervention, or a combination of both.

The majority of dental anxiety cases originate directly from a prior negative experience, often when the afflicted person was very young. Other factors include a fear of healthcare and health-providers in general; the fear of pain, helplessness, and/or losing control while receiving care; an embarrassment over the current state of one's dental health; and the negative portrayal of dentists in mass media. Additionally, the dental office presents various sensory stimuli that can aggravate persons with certain sensitivities; for some people, the sounds and scents alone can be as upsetting as the perception of pain. What's more, when people are anxious they expect more pain, and anxiety can worsen a patient's perception of pain.

So, how does one face this fear? Go see a dentist. We all know the proverb, "An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure," and this old adage applies equally well to the mouth as to any other part of the body. People who obtain regular, comprehensive and preventative dental care are likely to experience fewer dental problems and require less restorative care, than those who avoid the dentist until a problem develops.

Preventative care is about more than a check-up to look for cavities, it includes an assessment of periodontal (gum) and bone health; bite, chewing and jaw problems; and proper oral hygiene techniques and products review. Since many dental problems are the result of an active disease process, ignoring the problem translates to an increase in severity and decrease in treatment options. For example, a cavity starts small and may only cause occasional sensitivity, but if left untreated the cavity will grow and eventually cause pain. If allowed to fester, by the time the individual sees the dentist, what may have been treatable with a simple small filling may now need to be extracted. Thus, regardless of whether you obtain comprehensive care, you should see a dentist at the first sign of a problem. This sign could be pain, pus, a strange taste or odor, swelling, or bleeding anywhere in the mouth and jaws.

Dental anxiety is a legitimate condition, but it does not have to be a hindrance to receiving good dental care. If you have ever noticed blood on your toothbrush, saliva or food, if any of your teeth seem to have shifted position or become loose, if you use any tobacco products, or it has been more than two years since your last dental visit, you should see a dentist, even if you don't feel any dental pain.

Community Dental—Gentle, Safe, and Affordable Dental Care and We Welcome Patients with Anxiety

Our approach is to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that includes preventative, restorative, and maintenance services by appointment. We accept most dental insurance plans, MaineCare, and walk-in emergencies for those experiencing dental pain. We are taking new patients and treat all ages, so your whole family can become established patients with us.

Give us a call—we have several locations throughout the state and look forward to your visit!

Dental Anxiety—References and Reading Materials

Principal Author: Community Dental Staff Dentist
Date Last Modified: October 21, 2011