SO WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT MY DENTAL FEAR?
Charontakis Panos
Surgeon Dentist
The first
thing you can do is to realize that your dental fear can be
overcome. Fear is a learned behavior, which, therefore, can be
unlearned. Patient-centered behavior modification that treats
you as a whole person, not as a set of teeth can help you
overcome your fears. This will obviously take a team approach
between you and your dentist and his/her staff. Communication is
the key. You must feel comfortable expressing your fears and
concerns and have a sense that you are being listened to.
If
you feel that the Dr. and/or staff if not genuinely concerned
and listening, then absolutely feel comfortable with seeking out
referrals to other offices.
You should never compromise the level of
communication that you feel is necessary to give you a sense of
control over your situation in the dental office. Modern
dentistry with a compassionate dental team can be truly
painless. You can desensitize yourself to your fears if you take
the first step and allow the right team to help you overcome
your fears.
A Sense of
Control-
Explanation and clarification of any and all procedures proposed
is your right as a patient. If you have a question about a
particular procedure, ask it! Empower yourself with the
knowledge to alleviate fear of the unknown. You should have
input into treatment decisions and choices. You should be honest
with your dentist regarding how much treatment you think you can
tolerate at first. As you build confidence in yourself and trust
in the team that is caring for you, the length of your
appointment and the amount of work accomplished will increase.
A
Signalling System should be established allowing you to stop for
any reason, whether it be because you need more anaesthesia,
want to rinse out, or simply need a two second break. The most
common signal is raising your hand.
Never be
Embarrassed
If you have been ridiculed in the past for your behaviour or if
you are embarrassed by your present dental condition caused by
your neglect, please express yourself honestly and give your
present dentist a chance to understand your concerns and show
you that they care. You will be amazed at the wealth of
treatment options that you might not have thought were possible.
With modern dentistry, it's never too late to recreate a new
smile!
Relaxation
Techniques
If you feel tense in the chair, the easiest way to relax is
through forms of physical relaxation. A relaxed body promotes a
clear and relaxed mind. The human body cannot be physically
relaxed and mentally anxious at the same time! The brain won't
process these feelings simultaneously. Physical relaxation
methods are easier to accomplish at first as compared to
cognitive ones, so practice forms of physical relaxation first.
Examples
of physical relaxation are Diaphragmatic Breathing, Progressive
Muscle Relaxation, and various methods taught in yoga . There
are numerous books and sources for these methods. If you induce
relaxation in the presence of the stimuli that normally induces
your fears (the dental environment), the fear response will be
greatly diminished over multiple exposures and you will
gradually desensitize yourself to these fears as you build
confidence. The memories of traumatic visits will be replaced
with more innocuous ones and this less threatening environment
coupled with your relaxation methods will help you eliminate
your fears.
Distraction
As you get more comfortable in the dental environment, you can
engage in various distraction techniques that many offices have.
The use of a Walkman or Discman is a common technique. Many
offices now are equipped with Virtual Reality-like glasses that
provide both visual and auditory distraction by allowing you to
view videotapes through these glasses while having dental work
done. We only suggest using distraction techniques once you have
established some trust and confidence because your ability to
communicate will be compromised, although it is easy to stop any
of these devices if need be.
Predictable Pain Control
Modern dentistry has many new techniques with regards to the
administration of local anaesthetics to block any possibility of
pain. There are many people who have anatomical or biologic
variations that do require more individualized techniques in
order to predictably achieve proper local anaesthesia. This
variation must be respected and communicated to your dentist.
All injections should be given slowly . The needle itself is not
the major cause of discomfort, but in fact, it is the pressure
and volume of the fluids being injected that causes the
discomfort. There are also great differences in the types of
tissue in various locations anatomically and from person to
person that must be considered when administering injections.
There are even computer-controlled machines that are now
available to standardize the injection process and make it more
predictable than the conventional hand-held syringe. (See
section on "The Wand".)
COMMUNICATE, EMPOWER YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE AND TAKE CONTROL OF
YOUR FEARS!
