Overcome your fear of going to the dentist from a dentist's
point of view
Copyright 2005 Jason Bibb
There are a lot of psychological issues involved in a simple
trip to the dentist. By nature, people fear instruments such as
needles and other sharp objects, and the dentist's office has
plenty of those! This is why it is important to find a dentist
that is both good at dentistry and a good psychologist as well.
A dentist who knows how to relieve the patient from the inherent
fears he or she has will definitely become the number one choice
when it comes to tooth problems. There are several things your
dentist and you should know in order to eliminate some of the
potential problems involved. For example, it is important that
the dentist explains to you all the actions he is going to take,
eliminating the fear of the unknown, one of the biggest distress
factors. Many dentists that are known for their skills in
reducing patient anxiety also announce the approximate duration
of the procedure. This is important because it gives the patient
more confidence and the assurance that half an hour from then
they will be on their way home with their problem solved.
Tips on how to get used to going to the dentist
It helps if you go to the same dentist consistently, as you are
going to easily get used to the surrounding environment. One
interesting approach is to ask a friend to join you for the
appointment. This is useful from several perspectives - talking
to your friend will keep your mind busy with other things and it
won't let stress develop over the limit. Communication between
dentist and patient is also vital. When the patient feels that
he or she is working with the dentist, the collaboration is
stronger and fears are replaced by the sense that a common goal
has to be achieved. Most good dentists will explain what the
next procedure will be and why they do it. They will let you
know why a root canal has to be worked on first and why the
crown of the tooth comes second. Another good idea that many
dentists use is to perform a smaller job before the actual
problem is tackled. This helps the patient gather confidence and
the dentist will have a more collaborative person to work with
once that happens. One final element that may contribute to the
diminishing of the patient's fear is the mood of the dentist. A
happy and worry free looking dentist, and, most of all, a
confident one will make the patient absorb some of these
positive emotions.