Fear is one of the most fundamental human feelings and though in most cases it is considered to be a negative emotion it protects us from going beyond our limits from recklessness which can result in physical hurt or injuries. However, if we have a fear from a dentist it does not mean that there could be any dramatic events happening to us during a treatment since a well-trained specialist can take care of our teeth and at the same time of our soul or mental well-being as well.
It can occur many times that the memory of a bad experience lived through in our childhood is so vivid or strong that it can have an impact on our whole adult life. This way, even from the sight of a dental surgery we can have butterflies in our stomach. It can also be the case that fear is not based on our own experiences but on those exaggerated stories we have heard from our acquaintances. Of course, it can also happen that any kind of improper treatment or fear from the dental drill or injection needle can cause a small kind of panic but if we know how to handle these feelings we can sit into the dental chair in a much more relaxed mood.
One of the most effective ways to overcome fear is if we identify the problem. If we take into consideration what is the worst thing that can happen to us then we will see that our mind exaggerates the possibilities unreasonably. It can help a lot to speak about our problems with our family members, friends but by all means we should let our dental practitioner know about our different types of fear.
An emphatic health professional can do a lot in dispelling these misconceptions,
for example: by explaining exactly what will happen during the treatment and ensuring us that the treatment will be painless from the starting steps to the final ones.
Sympathy and expertise are both important for patients just like a calm and pleasant atmosphere in the waiting room, some soft music or the friendly greeting of the receptionist.
It can be an efficient method for dissolving anxiety if we take it into consideration what we can gain during the treatment. For example, to decide that we get rid of a tooth causing a lot of annoyance and pain or the feeling that we can forget any inconvenience felt because of an incomplete teeth. If we finally decide to have our incomplete teeth fixed, it can have a very beneficial impact on our teeth, our overall health condition and also on our self-confidence.
The most important thing is a trust relationship between the patient and the dentist in which the patient can feel comfortable since he/she receives continuous communication, attentive and humane
attitude during the treatments. These all can be very comforting for the patient before a more unpleasant intervention.
If you take part in a medical check-up every six month, it can protect your teeth from more serious alterations and can train us to realise that in most cases just a tiny routine intervention will happen, like: tartar removal or a dental filling. These procedures can be accomplished really quickly and they do not cause any serious pain, so we can say farewell to fear easily.
