As the name itself suggests, dental phobia is the fear of the dentist. Just the idea of the drill or its sounds causes many people to have mild panic attacks. In order to prevent long-term damage to the oral cavity, a fear of the dentist should be started in time with psychotherapy.
What is dental phobia?
There is no need to be afraid of dentists. On the contrary, dentists treat toothache, tooth decay and periodontal disease. In addition, many dentists also offer professional teeth cleaning. Dental phobia is the fear of the dentist. Its development is usually psychological. However, for decades dental phobia was not seen even by doctors as the serious problem it is recognized as today. This is because, on average, fear prevents every second German citizen from regularly visiting the dentist. Thus, dental phobia can lead not only to an unsightly set of teeth. All diseases of the teeth, gums or jaw are treated too late or even never because of dental phobia. This can be accompanied by further problems of the immune system as well as the organs, which are additionally promoted by the dental phobia.
Causes
The causes of dental phobia or fear of the dentist are usually complex. In general, any experience at the dentist or with one’s own teeth that is perceived as unpleasant can trigger dental phobia. As a rule, the reasons for this are to be found in childhood, where visits to the dentist are not only something completely new, but also show the child a sense of being at the mercy of strangers whom he or she has not known before. Dental phobia, on the other hand, very rarely develops at an older age, but then it is usually based on actual unpleasant experiences. Such can be long lasting and painful treatments. Also operations justify in some cases the dental phobia. However, the fear does not always have to have something to do with the dentist. According to recent findings, dental phobia can also be triggered by completely untypical causes. For example, rape and other situations of coercion can cause such psychological reactions, which later result in dental phobia. Therefore, in case of doubt, psychological help should always be considered when assessing dental phobia.
Symptoms, complaints and signs
In dental phobia, the affected person suffers from a great fear of visiting the dentist. As a rule, this fear results in relatively infrequent visits to a dentist, so that the health of the affected person’s teeth suffers significantly. This often leads to tooth decay, holes in the teeth or even broken teeth. In many cases, the affected person does not visit the dentist even when there is severe pain or inflammation. This can also damage the root of the tooth, so that it must be completely removed. Dental phobia thus has a lasting, very negative effect on the state of health in the oral cavity of the affected person. Much of the damage can no longer be reversed. If the person affected by dental phobia visits a dentist, this will result in heart palpitations and very heavy sweating. Furthermore, tension or even trembling can occur. This also makes it impossible for the dentist to work properly, as the affected person suffers from such severe anxiety. Furthermore, in addition to the pain caused by dental phobia, there may also be an unpleasant bad breath, which has a very negative impact on the patient’s quality of life.
Course
The course of the disease of dental phobia is as varied as its causes. In most cases, the affected person feels weak and anxious at the mere thought of the dentist. Dental phobia often triggers trembling of the body and sweating. Heart palpitations and an inner tension are also among the symptoms of dental phobia. In the further course visits of the dentist are avoided. Already existing appointments are not perceived or always postponed. Dental phobia not infrequently leads to patients not having their teeth examined and treated for years or even decades. Even considerable pain and unbearable bad breath are usually accepted approvingly by those affected by dental phobia.
When should you go to the doctor?
Dental phobia often prevents sufferers from seeing a dentist or oral surgeon for years. Visiting the dentist is disproportionately anxiety-provoking in dental phobia. It is usually only undertaken when severe pain occurs. Meanwhile, many dentists specialize in sometimes extreme fears in their patients. They help those affected by talking to them, through hypnosis, acupuncture treatments or light anesthesia, to make the visit to the dentist a bearable and everyday routine visit. Careful preparation of the patient for dental treatment takes time. A patient with a pronounced dental phobia can face his problem by visiting a psychotherapist or a hypnotist. In the case of the former, the aim is to determine the cause and cope with the fears. Often, however, the complaints are already so serious that psychotherapeutic support is provided directly in the dental practice. For this purpose, an interdisciplinary cooperation of dentists with other medical professionals is appropriate. Hypnosis and acupuncture treatments can also prepare a patient with dental phobia for a visit to the dentist. However, the affected person must be receptive to it. It is important to remove the fear of pain from the anxious patient. The doctor explains each step of the treatment to the affected person. It requires some empathy on the part of the treating dentist to handle the situation.
Treatment and therapy
How to treat dental phobia always depends on the individual case. In milder cases, normal talking therapies or sharing with other sufferers can eliminate dental phobia. But especially in such patients, where the dental phobia remained untreated for several years, usually only special psychological or even psychiatric procedures can provide relief. It can also take several months for the therapist to even get to the root causes of the dental phobia. Supportive breathing techniques and relaxation exercises for the muscles are recommended to overcome dental phobia. It is crucial for the person affected by dental phobia to take the first step towards healing. If the dental phobia can be eliminated, it is not only the psychological fear that is alleviated. It also opens the way for the patient to have his teeth examined and treated. Therefore, a physical effect is also achieved in the therapy of dental phobia.
Prospect and prognosis
Dental phobia usually does not improve without professional help. A distinction must be made between an unpleasant but normal reluctance to visit the dentist and a manifested dental phobia. The longer the pathological fear of the dentist remains untreated, the longer the treatment of the dental phobia itself will usually take. It is carried out in cooperation with a psychologist and a dentist who should specialize in anxiety patients. However, the effect of dental phobia on dental health is also relevant for the prognosis. With meticulous oral and dental hygiene, some patients with dental phobia manage to avoid worse diseases. However, after years and decades, it is usually noticeable that they have not visited a dentist for check-ups. Dental diseases are usually presented to the dentist only when the affected patients already have significant problems and, of course, pain. Dental phobia is therefore often also associated with problematic dental health. In this sense, too, it should be treated in a timely manner so that the patient can promptly see the dentist when problems arise. The longer dental problems are put off, the more they can worsen and even affect other areas of the body such as heart muscle health in the long run.
Aftercare
When it comes to dental phobia, patient preparation is just as important as follow-up care. Those who have a panic fear of the dentist must first be prepared for a dental visit with confidence-building measures. Aftercare includes the confidential conversation that the dentist has after the treatment. In addition, he must look at the result of his work and check it together with the patient. The bite must be right, and further treatment needs to be discussed calmly. The whole process should take place in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.In the conversation he has during follow-up, the dentist can find out how the treatment was perceived by the patient. Patients with dental phobia must be treated in a special way. Often, patients have not been to the dentist for many years because of their panic. Extensive remedial work is necessary. The dentist would like to achieve by the aftercare that the patient appears to the next appointment. Among other things, he should learn that there can also be dental visits in which neither drilling, nor dentures are mounted with the use of anesthetics.
This is what you can do yourself
Those who suffer from dental phobia should seek psychological help to solve the problem at its root. In addition to professional treatment, there are also numerous self-help tips for everyday life, so that the fear and panic of a visit to the dentist decreases and the quality of life of those affected can increase. In the run-up to treatment by the dentist, the affected person should talk openly about his or her fears. In the course of a discussion between the dentist and the patient, the patient should receive precise information about the treatment process, so that the patient can prepare for the procedure and at the same time build up trust in the dentist. The fear of unknown and unpredictable procedures can thus be alleviated. If the patient realizes that he or she can ask for an interruption of the treatment at any time, the feeling of being at the mercy of the dentist and the sense of loss of self-control can be minimized. When the anxiety response begins with a release of adrenaline in the body, the performance of relaxation techniques is recommended. The relaxation exercises help to direct the thoughts away from the uncomfortable situation and to better control and calm the breathing. General anesthesia can limit anxiety about the upcoming procedure and prevent traumatic experiences for the patient during the procedure.
