We all know the feeling - sitting in the dentist’s waiting room, reading about the latest in-car sound system, while listening to the high-p...
We all know the feeling - sitting in the dentist’s waiting room, reading about the latest in-car sound system, while listening to the high-pitched drill that is currently making a hole in the patient’s jaw. This awful sound can be enough for a person with a vivid imagination to conjure up all kinds of nightmare scenarios and this can lead to a serious reluctance to make the next appointment. With that fear in mind, here are some common reasons people develop a fear of the dentist’s chair.
Vivid Imagination - No one likes to have a tiny high-speed drill inserted into their mouth and even with local anaesthetic, a person can imagine pain. Of course, most of us know we are unable to feel anything and we relax and the treatment is soon over. It is usually children that suffer anxiety such as this and a good dentist can make the child feel less anxious.
Childhood Memories - Let's face it, dentistry has come a long way and those of you who are retired would certainly remember the screams of pain when the local anaesthetic wasn’t given. We must remember that the unpleasant childhood experience could have been as a witness, or they may have felt pain when having a cavity filled, as the drill touched a nerve. Of course, today, things are very different and a patient-friendly recommended dentist in Brisbane or in your area would be able to remove all traces of anxiety in a patient. Indeed, dentists are trained to make the patient feel at ease prior to treatment and they are very happy to answer any questions you might have.
Social Media Rumours - In the event a person has a nightmare dental experience, they might post something on Facebook and reading this can trigger anxiousness in a person. We should trust that our dentist knows his stuff. Most dentists will tap the target tooth several times to ensure there is no feeling, before starting work, which really calms a patient down. You might be unlucky to know someone who has a traumatic dental experience and after hearing the details, this could start you thinking.
A Bad Experience - It does happen and should a person experience pain during dental treatment, this can lead to a fear of the next encounter, which is perfectly natural. This is the hardest type of fear to overcome because it comes from the memory of an actual experience. It might take a few years and a very patient-friendly dentist to eradicate the bad memory, or at least not let it impact future treatment.
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Some dentists recommend the patient to take anxiety medication prior to the appointment, plus today’s dentist can offer a wide range of anaesthetic procedures, which is comforting. There is absolutely nothing to worry about when you are having dental treatment - whether fillings or an extraction - the dentist always makes sure that you will not feel pain of any sort. If you see your dentist every 6 months for a check-up, you will always enjoy good oral health.
