Nervous patients can have their dental surgery carried out under sedation.

Nervous about visiting the dentist? You’re not alone! In actual fact, for one in ten, the very thought of undergoing a dental procedure is a source of genuine, anxiety-inducing, knee-quivering, fear. For a dental phobic, their inherent discomfort with the idea of visiting the dentist’s chair is so strong that it even overshadows the excruciating pain they may be in.

In Ireland, only about 60% of the population attend a dentist regularly. Of this 60%, many will feel nervous or anxious to some extent. Psychologists rank these feelings into four categories with their own difficulties;

Nervousness

People who fall into this rank are slightly afraid of what is going to happen to them when they visit the dentist. Usually, they are in control of their feelings and are capable of suppressing them. This nervousness is a common feeling for many people who are about to present for any form of medical treatment. They are simply expressing their concern for their own health and well-being.

Dental Anxiety

this is the term used to describe the imagining of pain during a dental exam. For example, when asked by the dentist to attend for a filling, a patient might expect the sensation of the drill boring into their tooth. Usually, this is not a serious complaint and most people who experience anxiety will overcome it themselves and attend their dentists anyway. Dentists are trained to be sensitive to their patients’ anxiety and will do their level best to put their patient at ease by explaining the procedure properly and applying adequate pain relief during it.

Dental Fear

this is the sensation of feeling pain during a dental procedure, even if said pain is not really present. This pain can be psychosomatic, so your dentist will attempt to use a suitable pain relief to put you at your ease. It is important to have a pre-arranged hand signal with your dentist, so he or she will stop what they are doing if you are experiencing pain. Experiencing dental fear even once can cause people to avoid attending their dentist in the future.

Dental Phobia

this is the most extreme state of anxiety or fear identified by psychologists. It is that sense of panic when the dental appointment reminder comes through the letterbox. This sense of panic can only be relieved by avoiding the dentist altogether. Usually sufferers of dental phobia have NOT had a bad experience at the dentist that has resulted in their deep-seated fear. Like all phobias, there is a large degree of irrationality involved. However, phobias are essentially habits, so it takes time and counselling to unravel the symptoms and come to a solution so that the prospect of a dental exam does not fill you with an all-consuming fear.