What is Dentophobia? How does it affect a person’s life and health? How can a person overcome this kind of phobia? Dentophobia is a form of dental phobia, wherein a person has a fear of a dentist and may result in some severe health problems. The IDC team warns that gum disease, tooth loss and other oral issues are some of the examples that might worsen if dentophobia keeps you away from regular dental check ups…
Dentophobia
Dentophobia is a type of dental phobia wherein a person has a fear of dentists and other related dental equipment that will lead to a severe case like dental anxiety and fear. It is also described as an irrational or extreme fear of visiting a dentist, situations or objects that relate to dental. The feeling of fear only comes when you are going to visit a dentist or if you hear a dental drill sound. Or your fear will show if you see a white dental gown or just merely talking to the dentist. It is essential to treat this kind of phobia, as it will affect your physical and mental health. And as the healthy dental care and hygiene are vital in your healthy life, treating this dental phobia is a must. Oral care is an essential aspect of your life; your fear of a dentist should not stop you from receiving regular cleaning and checkups.
Causes
We will discuss the different elements of Dentophobia as this will help you and your dentist in identifying the cause of your fear and will be the starting point of your treatment. You might have one or more of these elements, but severe cases of Dentophobia, you may all of these elements. These are all the elements that you may be afraid of.
- One element of Dentophobia that may be the cause of your fear is the dentist. You are afraid of the actual person, or even thinking about that person that will treat you. As the dentist are ridiculously and wrongly misunderstood as a cold person and unsympathetic or a sadist. And when you have this kind of view to a dentist, then you may have this kind of phobia.
- Another element that may be the reason you have this dental phobia is a dental practice. You may be afraid of the smell, sounds and sights that you come across at the dental clinic. And this may connote that they hold over physically from visiting or entering the dental clinic.
- Fear of pain is one element of dentophobia that may contribute to your anxiety. You believe that the reason for your pain is by consulting a dentist. You may also be tremendously sensitive to pain that even the slightest of it will trigger your fear and that pain is unbearable.
- One element of dentophobia that may be the reason for your fear is the needles. The reason why you are refusing to visit a dentist might be because of the needles that were used and even also the dentist. And also if you already have a needle phobia that may be the reason why you have this dental phobia.
- Gagging or numbness may be one of the reasons why you have Dentophobia. If you have a fear of choking and the impression of opening your mouth for a while, may trigger this fear of yours. It is the fear that if you would open your mouth for too long, you might gag and cannot breathe.
Other Causes
After we have defined the elements on Dentophobia, we will now explore the other dimension of the causes of this dental anxiety or phobia. Here are some of the phobias as follows:
- One phobia that you could relate to the cause of dentophobia is Algophobia. Algophobia is the term used for fear of pain. It is common for people who are over sixty-five years old and the unceasing fear of being hurt.
- Another phobia is Trypanophobia, which is the fear of needles, and it is usually seen on adults and children. However, adults can outgrow this fear as their threshold to pain gets higher, but some cannot overcome it.
- Iatrophobia is one phobia that may be the cause of your phobia. Iatrophobia is the term used for fear of doctors. This phobia can immensely damage your well being and will result in missed or delay your treatment.
Symptoms
It is said that when you have unhealthy dental care, it usually links to the development of dental anxiety. Here are some of the symptoms of dentophobia.
- You refuse to visit the dentist because you are terrified.
- You refuse to undergo procedures that use needles and that are painful.
- You panic at the impression of going to a dentist.
- Your phobia will make you cry when you are at the dental clinic.
- Vomiting or shaking when you thought of going to the dentist, is one symptom of a severe dentophobia.
Treatment
Minor fears when seeing or visiting a dentist, the best treatment is to go to the dentist. Or if your fear wins over you, sedation is also recommended. Discuss sedation options like happy gas with your chosen dentist.- Exposure therapy is best recommended to you if your fear is in a severe case. This kind of psychotherapy includes exposing you to see the dentist gradually.
- There are specific kinds of anti-anxiety drugs that will be recommended for you to take. It may ease the symptoms while you are undergoing exposure therapy. These drugs can also lessen some of the physical symptoms of your dental anxiety. The usage of drugs differs from mild medications up to the general anesthesia. Also, your dentists can use the laughing gas to calm you.
Dentophobia is a type of dental phobia wherein a person has a fear of dentists and other related dental equipment that will lead to a severe case like dental anxiety and fear.
