3 Root Causes of Dental Phobia and How to Deal with Them

If you are undergoing a dental procedure, you may feel like your dentist can induce fear. Unfortunately, it does affect patients like you since you need utmost care and further examination to take care of yourself, especially when you are undergoing a dental emergency. To face these phobias head-on by addressing them and learning how to best cope with them, use this article as your guide to doing so.

Past Experiences

You may have some unsettled trauma from the dentist who is holding you back. Sometimes, it can be the dentists themselves who make your feel uncomfortable, but it can also be the tools, sight of bodily fluids (e.g., blood, pus), and other triggering sensations. Whatever they may be, these tiny pieces may allude to an unpleasant memory during a dentist appointment that must be addressed before you can go to the clinic for your treatment.

The best way to deal with past experiences that correlates to your dental phobias is to detail them with a trained psychiatrist or counsellor. These professionals can help navigate your trauma and find healthy coping mechanisms to alleviate these anxious thoughts.

If you also like to voice out your memories, you can attend accountability groups that deal with traumatic experiences. Through these practical steps, you can find peace in better understanding yourself as you can finally go to the dental clinic while being self-assured.

Testimonials From Friends and Family

You may consider yourself an empath or someone who finds joy in helping others through their negative experiences. It can feel fulfilling to do so since it is like you are becoming more receptive to different people. However, this need for validation from others can also be damaging.

If you aren’t careful, you can easily become affected by these stories, especially when they talk about their experiences at the dentist. Worse, you may develop anxious feelings when you go to the same dental clinic like the ones from your friend’s or family’s stories, further making you worry.

As a practical solution, you should first remember to take care of yourself and your mental state before engaging in heavy subjects, such as surgery and abuse. Remember, while these memories are not your own, they can still have a significant effect on you.

Therefore, take the time to process what you just heard from others and remind yourself of your own outlook of the dentist, especially if you had positive experiences. This way, you can eliminate the negative emotions and get the necessary dental care you need.

Watching Dentist Videos Online

Since we are living in the age of technology, it is easy nowadays to document and see other people’s experiences at the dentist. While some clips can serve as learning opportunities for us, others are harmful and wrongfully depict the overall actuality of dental treatment.
 
Therefore, avoid re-watching and thinking about disturbing dental videos. Process what you saw with your dentist, and they can help you better understand what to expect, enabling you to feel calmer and more ready for your treatment.

Conclusion

Going through dental phobias and related anxieties can make receiving any dental treatment challenging. Fortunately, you can find ways around this, provided that you just remember the tips mentioned above. Meanwhile, remember that you have nothing to fear since skilled dentists like us are more than willing to help you. 

Are you looking for professional emergency dental solutions in Edmonton and trained professionals to help you get the immediate care you need? Consult with us at the 24/7 Emergency Dental Clinic. We understand that going through these experiences can be emotionally distressing, which is why our team utilizes techniques that are effective yet gentle. Book your appointment with us today, and we will help you get through this difficult time.