How to make a dental phobia
I remember my first visit to the dentist. I recall the comedy picture on the wall, a child in the dentist chair with one end of a string attached to his tooth, the other to the door knob. The child looked terrified. At that age I didn’t see the funny side. Fortunately the kindly dentist reassured me that they didn’t remove teeth in that way anymore. My parents continued to take me to see him regularly (I suffered no pain) until his retirement when I was taken to another dentist.
The next one discovered seven cavities Which seemed to suggest the previous practitioner had been rather short sighted. But again I was blessed with a kind and gentle man as temporary curator of my teeth. I experienced no fear or pain associated with the treatment and left with a good story to tell. I am so grateful that I do not suffer from dental anxiety but the story could have had a totally different ending had it not been for those two gentlemen who knew how to allay a young child’s fears.
A very common phobia
If you are terrified of going to the dentist, or you know someone who is, you are not alone. Some estimates suggest that nearly 75% of adults experience some element of fear visiting the dentist. Around 5 to 10% of these have a phobia.
What are Phobias?
Phobias are much more extreme than fears. Fear releases adrenaline which enables us to deal with threat by either running away more quickly, or fighting more effectively. A phobia on the other hand involves feeling terrified of something that poses little or no threat. Facing a phobia, is a bit like I feel about going up to a hungry lioness and giving her a cuddle. If you have a dental phobia, then actually plucking up the courage to open your mouth to the tooth professional, is brave indeed.
Sadly, it is common for those who suffer from any phobia to feel some attendant degree of shame or unworthiness. There is no need. Phobias are created to instinctively keep us safe. If my experiences as a child had been accompanied by pain and unkindness, my memory of the visit to the dentist would’ve been unpleasant, and the sensible thing for me to do would have been to avoid ever setting eyes on a dentist again, it would have installed a fear so great that I would have been prepared to run away from or fight the aggressor or dentist. This is how a phobia is created. We do it without even thinking in order to keep safe and secure.
I feel desperately sorry for those who suffer from dental phobia. I have experienced searing pain from a mouth abscess and I cannot imagine what I would have done if I had been too afraid to seek help from the professionals. Visiting the dentist gives me confidence. I know my teeth are healthy and there is no need to worry about halitosis from decaying molars or rotting gums.
What are the choices?
Dentists are trained to look after the teeth rather than the mind, so it is rare to find one who has the time or training to resolve your dental anxiety. Usually the only solution they have is to refer you for sedation if you need treatment. The problem here is that waiting times are usually long and sedation does not cure the underlying anxiety. Most prefer not to go down this road.
In my experience the most effective forms of treatment are Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and hypnotherapy. These are both gentle and reassuring and help retrain your brain not to be afraid. There is a myth that one has to confront one’s fears in order to be rid of them. At no time during treatment will you be subjected to your phobia. That’s just cruel. Some therapists charge by the hour. I prefer to charge a one off fee to eliminate your phobia, or reduce it to a manageable level, in between one and three sessions. To find out more visit www.thephobiasurgery.com, call (07789) 181244 or email info@thephobiasurgery.com