Created 27/10/2015
Updated 12/15/2023
Why are we afraid of the dentist? Can we avoid fear of the dentist?
The dental appointment is for most of us not a very pleasant time. Almost 60% of our patients at IMOI admit to having had feelings of fear or even dread at the thought of going to the dentist. It is clear that this type of unpleasant sensation is an impediment to having regular dental checkups, but in the end they manage to overcome their fear a little and come, sometimes reluctantly.
However, there are even more serious cases in which there are patients with odontophobia or fear of the dentist as a pathology recognized and certified by the WHO (World Health Organization) as a real disease that is estimated to affect around 15 to 20% of the world’s population.
In this case, the phobia is fed by a irrational terror against the dentist and everything related to the dental practice (such as the noise of the “drill”, the smell of disinfectant or medicines, needles, etc.) and, although the patient is aware of the irrationality of his fear, he cannot avoid it, to the point of presenting actual physical symptoms such as tachycardia, palpitations, sweating, fainting, hyperventilation, nausea, difficulty sleeping the night before the visit and panic attacks.
This deep fear causes patients with dental treatment phobia to have bitter visits to the dentist, so they resort to taking painkillers, antibiotics and other substances to self-medicate.
This avoidance behavior only increases the phobia, believing that it is impossible to overcome the problem. deterioration of oral health to forcing the patient to go to the dentist when the dental disease is so advanced that it will require even more traumatic treatments such as extractions or long therapy sessions.
This sets up a vicious circle that seems impossible to stop, but worry no more because from IMOI we are going to propose TWO SOLUTIONS so that you can treat yourself without problems:
- We are going to give you a series of tips to avoid fear of the dentist that work for many of our patients and that can help you eliminate the suffering.
- We offer you conscious dental sedation or deep dental sedation so that you have no memory of your dental visit or treatment.
A few tips for managing fear and anxiety of the dentist.
BE INFORMED: Know ing the techniques and procedures you will have to go through will surely make you feel less afraid. Search for information about them and you will find that most of the procedures today are virtually painless and much less uncomfortable than in the past.
FIND A DENTIST YOU TRUST: Having a good feeling with the person who will take care of your oral health is very important. It is essential to find a professional who is able to empathize with you and with whom you do not hesitate to confide your fears and doubts. Ask him to explain in detail all phases of therapy. In this aspect is where IMOI has solvency. 90% of patients who visit any IMOI dental clinic in Barcelona or Ibiza confess to feel comfortable in our clinics.
GO TO A CLINIC SPECIALIZING IN PAIN-FREE TREATMENTS. At IMOI, apart from the personal treatment with the doctors we have also specialized in techniques to perform painless dental treatments such as:
DO ONE STEP AT A TIME: There is no need to do everything at once. Book a first appointment with the dentist just for a check-up, that way you will be allowed to familiarize yourself gradually. Follow up with some dental cleaning to boost your self-confidence. You can then schedule your appointments on a regular basis and respect them.
THINK POSITIVE: Before each appointment, when anxiety starts to set in, focus on a positive thought, for example, that after the check-ups you will have a beautiful and healthy smile, think that you are a strong and determined person.
BE ON TIME FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT: Some people find it works for them to stay a few minutes in the waiting room so they don’t go straight to the dentist’s chair. You can relax there by reading some magazines or taking a good book.
SEE ACCOMPANIED:You can ask a friend or family member to accompany you to dental treatment sessions. Having the support of a supportive person can help instill serenity.
TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND RELAX: During your visit to the dental clinic, try to relax and breathe slowly and deeply, if you focus on your breathing you will avoid panic attacks. You will also be able to release tension by leaning on an “anti-stress” ball or listen to your favorite music with headphones so that you do not hear the noise of the drill that causes so much panic to friends and strangers.
REMEMBER TO REWARD: After each dental appointment, give yourself a treat to reward yourself for overcoming your fears.
CONTACT A PSYCHOTHERAPIST: If your fear is such that you can’t even stay in the dentist’s office, you may need the help of a specialist. Phobias can be overcome through psychotherapy techniques. You can even ask your trusted dentist if they know of any specialists in the treatment of phobias or anxiety disorders related to dentists.
REQUESTS MODERATE SEDATION: Sedation is an option that could help you if you need to undergo major treatments. In this case your dentist may prescribe oral anti-anxiety medication that you could take before the dental session or operation. It must always be under the supervision and approval of your physician. At IMOI we have the necessary facilities and our own homologated operating room for the most complex and complicated treatments. In our medical staff we also have specialized anesthesiologists to control and monitor the whole process.
What if the patient afraid of the dentist is my child?
To control the fear of the dentist in the case of a child you can follow the following tips:
TAKE IT TO PERIODIC CHECK-UPS:
From the first moment your child’s teeth start to come in, it is important that you take him/her to regular check-ups with the dentist. In this way, your child will get used to live this experience as something normal and routine and, of course, will gain confidence with everything related to the dental practice.
PUT IT IN THE HANDS OF PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN CHILDREN
Children have a greater need to be listened to and reassured and we know that at Imoi, and therefore it is important that they have a total sympathy with their doctor to live a visit to the dentist as a pleasant experience.
ALWAYS GIVE A POSITIVE APPROACH TO THE DENTAL VISIT.
We should always avoid using the figure of the dentist as a threat against a child’s whim or disobedience (“if you misbehave I will take you to the dentist who will make you prick…, etc.”).
Children have fewer paradigms related to the dentist, as adults it is important to never instill fear and make them see them as a normal part of our life.
Deep conscious sedation to overcome fear and phobia of the dentist.
Conscious sedation provides comfort and prevents the formation of stressful memories, helping to overcome the fear of the dentist that affects many people.
Approximately 70% of the population experiences fear of the dentist, and a significant percentage of them experience considerable anxiety at the prospect of undergoing any dental treatment, even the simplest. In more extreme cases, about 15% describe sensations close to panic, known as dental phobia or odontophobia. These individuals need to address and overcome fear of the dentist, as these attitudes often lead to avoidance of dental treatment, with negative consequences for oral health.
Conscious sedation emerges as the most effective method to alleviate fear, anxiety or phobia of the dentist, allowing to live comfortably in feared situations. All this is achieved through sedation and dental anesthesia techniques provided by our team of anesthesiologists, dentists and surgeons specialized in painless procedures.
Conscious or deep sedation avoids fear of the dentist.
Throughout the entire procedure under sedation, the patient experiences a state of relaxation and drowsiness. During this time, the patient is unaware of the duration of the procedure and the possible stressful sensations associated with dental treatment, such as noise, odors, the sight of needles or the operating room, as well as pain during the administration of anesthesia or discomfort resulting from the prolonged opening of the mouth.
In our dental clinics, we have all the necessary technical resources and a specialized team of anesthesiologists, dentists and surgeons with extensive experience in this type of interventions, ready to help you overcome your fear of the dentist.
The application of conscious and deep sedation favors greater cooperation on the part of the patient, significantly facilitating the dentist’s work. From the moment the patient arrives at our dental clinic in Barcelona and Ibiza, he/she is in a state of relaxation that lasts until the end of the intervention. With no memory of the treatment, no pain or discomfort, the patient can return home and resume his or her normal routine in just a couple of hours.
Why is it important to overcome dental phobia?
The main motivation for overcoming fear of the dentist or odontophobia is to preserve optimal health, but we provide you with convincing arguments to overcome this fear:
Oral and dental health has been shown to have an impact on systemic health, being linked to various body diseases such as heart problems, stroke and even the risk of diabetes.
Postponing necessary dental treatments makes them more complicated, uncomfortable and costly to deal with when they end up at the dental clinic.
The face, especially the smile, is the first impression we make when we meet someone; it is our letter of introduction. Poorly positioned, discolored or fractured teeth can be interpreted as a lack of personal care.
The solution is currently accessible and you can find it in any of the IMOI dental centers in Barcelona and Ibiza. These are clear procedures with exceptional results.
What are conscious dental sedation and deep dental sedation like?
Conscious sedation, also known as dental sedation, is a complementary anesthetic procedure to the local anesthesia administered by the dentist or surgeon. It involves the application of a combination of drugs, such as sedatives and analgesics, prior to the administration of local anesthesia and throughout the duration of the procedure.
This medication is intended to plunge the patient into a state of relaxation, drowsiness, elimination of pain and lack of memory of the time elapsed. This optimizes the patient’s well-being and collaboration, thus facilitating the dentist’s or surgeon’s work and avoiding the formation of negative memories and associations.
It is essential to emphasize that conscious sedation is not equivalent to light general anesthesia. Unlike the latter, the patient maintains spontaneous breathing, reflexes and the ability to respond to verbal stimuli, which justifies its denomination as conscious sedation. These differences make this form of dental sedation a safer technique with rapid recovery.
Which professionals perform conscious and deep sedation dentistry and what is it like?
The application of this form of sedation should be carried out exclusively by physicians specialized in Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Pain Management. The work of the anesthesiologist at IMOI’s centers in Barcelona and Ibiza goes beyond sedation during surgery. To ensure maximum safety and optimal results of the dental treatment, the anesthesiologist performs an anesthetic procedure in three phases: before, during and after the intervention.
Prior to the procedure under sedation, the anesthesiologist meets with the patient to perform a preoperative workup that includes a medical history and evaluation of preoperative tests. During this meeting, the procedure is explained to the patient and, together with the anesthesiologist, the best anesthetic approach is decided.
On the day of the intervention, the patient receives the necessary medication for sedation, and before the end of the intervention, the first dose of the medication to be taken in the days following the procedure is administered.
This approach ensures that the patient always has the necessary medication, thus improving the postoperative period. At IMOI dental clinics, we have specialized in conscious sedation procedures for more than 20 years. We have facilities, technical equipment and trained personnel to ensure that the patient is under control and feels safe at all times.
For which treatments is dental sedation used?
Conscious sedation can be applied in all dental procedures performed at IMOI Clinics in Barcelona and Ibiza. We firmly believe that conscious sedation in dentistry represents the future of dental treatment. In this section, you will find details about the treatments we perform.
A variety of patients may benefit from this anesthetic approach (see the following sections for more detailed information):
Adults with dental fear, anxiety or dental phobia: Provides comfort and avoids stressful memories.
Sedation for children and adolescents: Prevents trauma with possible consequences on oral health.
3. Sedation in serious diseases: For adults with complicated diseases such as heart disease or diabetes, minimizing risks associated with their underlying pathology.
4. Complex or long-term treatments: It offers comfort, facilitates the dentist’s work and reduces duration times.
5. Combined treatments: Save time and avoid multiple visits to the dentist.
6. Greater comfort in dental treatments: Eliminates unpleasant sensations and shortens the perception of elapsed time.
This article has been supervised by Dr. Ferran Novell Costa and Dra. Erjona Demiraj, specialists in Dental Health and Dental Aesthetics treatments. Responsible for the treatments provided at IMOI Barcelona and IMOI Ibiza and for the supervision and/or updating of the contents of this blog entry. (7/11/2023). The recommendations described are not generic and do not replace the diagnosis and evaluation of a professional in a dental office. If you want us to clarify any aspect or want a personalized diagnosis and advice we recommend you to come to our dental clinics IMOI Barcelona and IMOI Ibiza.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any medium without written permission is prohibited.
At IMOI Barcelona and IMOI Ibiza, we follow editorial principles that guarantee the authenticity of all the information we disseminate. If you are interested in learning more about how we ensure that our content is always up-to-date and accurately supported, we invite you to review our editorial commitment.
This article has been supervised by Dr. Ferran Novell Costa and Dra. Erjona Demiraj, specialists in Dental Health and Dental Aesthetics treatments. Responsible for the treatments provided at IMOI Barcelona and IMOI Ibiza and for the supervision and/or updating of the contents of this blog entry. (7/11/2023). The recommendations described are not generic and do not replace the diagnosis and evaluation of a professional in a dental office. If you want us to clarify any aspect or you want a personalized diagnosis and advice we recommend you to come to our dental clinics.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any medium without written permission is prohibited.
