Dental Anxiety

Fear of Pain

Fear of pain is the most likely reason patients avoid the dentist. It may seem almost too obvious to mention; however, fear of pain (whether related to dental experience or not) is a serious issue humans have faced forever. In a Stanford News article entitled, “People who fear pain are more likely to suffer it,” the author explores a research study about how pain and anxiety occur and how it’s processed in the brain. The researchers noted “insanely strong” correlations between the subjects’ responses to an Anxiety Sensitivity questionnaire and the ensuing brain activity in the medial prefrontal gyrus (the area of the brain that searches for things that are wrong). In conclusion: There are significant differences in perception of pain from person to person. Some people can take pain in stride (even though they don’t enjoy it). But for many individuals, the anxiety produced by pain, or even the thought of pain, can actually cause them to experience pain even more often. If we consider this finding related to fear of the dentist, it’s easy to see how a person’s oral health could suffer significantly from avoiding dental visits.

Fear of Injections

Fear of injections, also known as needle phobia or trypanophobia, is a recognized phobia that affects approximately 50 million Americans. Full-blown reactions can include racing heartbeat, nausea, dizziness, and chest pain.

For the dental patient who fears injections, receiving a novocaine shot can be a traumatic experience all by itself. Even if you know the purpose is to prevent pain/feeling during the dental procedure, your brain may fixate on the needle (not the benefit).

Fear of Anesthesia

Along with the fear of injections comes the fear of receiving an anesthetic. It is a less common concern but no less important when considering dental care.

In a 2011 study, the fear of anesthesia, numbness, and sedation were significant factors to overall dental health. This fear encompasses the fear of receiving medicine and the fear of the numbness that occurs with the injection.

This concern often prevents patients from seeking relief from oral pain, including asking for medical advice, recommendations, etc.

The end result is often years of oral health issues, including cavities, discolored or cracked teeth, gum disease, and other oral hygiene issues.

Past Dental Trauma

As I stated above, past painful experience is the number one cause of dental anxiety. The worst part about this phobia is that it often turns an irrational fear into a much more severe problem.

Left unchecked, a vicious cycle of avoiding the dentist begins and keeps you from achieving the healthiest mouth (and body) possible!

One negative dental experience from childhood can affect a patient’s oral health over their lifetime and even temper how they handle their children’s dental experience.

Address these fears with your dentist and the dental office staff when calling to schedule a dental appointment.

Feeling Out of Control or Helpless

Sitting in the dental chair may not be stressful in and of itself. But for many patients, leaning back with a light over the face, a shield or covering under the chin, and the dentist, plus an assistant, standing over them, can cause a feeling of loss of control or helplessness.

Even realizing that you’re in a safe, open environment, the experience of feeling out of control can be daunting. It will be nearly impossible to endure the dental visit, much less relax and remain still.

Lack of Personal Space

The most obvious concept of personal space is the physical proximity of people, objects, or things around you. There is a private, unseen territory around us which nobody should invade. We each set these boundaries according to who we are; the amount of personal space will differ from person to person.

Even the most stress-free individual has a limit to how close others can come.

Whether your dental treatment involves an invasive procedure or is a routine cleaning/hygiene visit, it will involve someone standing over you — in your personal space.

Other causes of anxiety due to lack of personal space include:

• Previous trauma to the head and neck
• Other traumatic experiences like being closed in a small space for some time
• Generalized anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder
• The view that the mouth is a personal area and accessing the mouth is an invasion of personal space
• Trust issues
• Anxiety associated with other conditions such as agoraphobia (fear of being in situations where you feel you cannot escape), claustrophobia (fear of closed spaces), or obsessive-compulsive disorder (patterns of obsessions and compulsions, often related to cleanliness)