Nobody actually likes going to the dentist and for lots of patients, the dentist becomes a phobia to the extent that these patients do their own DIY dentistry on their teeth. One patient drank nearly a half bottle of Cognac and once they were pretty much like a drunken sailor, asked his uncle to get out his pliers that he used as he was a plumber to take his front tooth out. Most cases of being nervous about going to the dentist starts off in their childhood or just by having a really one off bad experience at some point. About 50% of patients who do not attend the dentist regularly stay away because they are nervous. Furthermore, NHS dentistry is not designed for nervous patients. If anything, having NHS dentistry actually increases dental phobia. This is because of time constraints associated with NHS dentistry and the limitations on what treatments can be offered on the NHS. Sadly, dentists who mainly work in the NHS are poorly trained to deal with nervous patients. They don’t have the time, patience or the skills and the patient who is nervous becomes even more terrified going to the dentist. So, if you are a nervous patient, what should you do? The first thing to grasp is that to get rid of your phobia will take time and it will cost money. The good news is that once you have eliminated your nerves at the dentist, you just need to stick to that dentist like glue. It’s a bit of a hit and miss when trying to find a dentist who’s good at treating nervous patients. You can ask for recommendations from family, friends or work colleagues. In addition, you can look on the internet for a dental practice who advertises as being gentle with nervous patients. Finally, you can look on www.dentalfearcentral.org which gives advice to nervous patients or those with a phobia. This website also has dentists who have an interest in dental phobia but that in itself does not mean that they are actually good or whether you will get along with the dentist. The only sure fire way is to bite the bullet and actually book an initial consultation which will give you an opportunity to see if this dentist is right for you.
References
- Pohjola V, Lahti S, Vehkalahti MM, Tolvanen M, Hausen H. Association between dental fear and dental attendance among adults in Finland. Acta Odontol Scand. 2007
- Gatchell RJ, Ingersoll BD, Bowman L, Robertson MC, Walker C. The prevalence of dental fear and avoidance: a recent survey study. J Am Dent Assoc. 1983
- Agras S, Sylvester D, Oliveau D. The epidemiology of common fears and phobia. Psychiatry.