Posts Tagged “dental phobia”

Dental phobia, tips and tricks from a dentist in Bristol

Dental phobia is a very common condition that effects 1 in 4 people in Bristol. Different fears affect different individuals. Some people are terrified of the pain they may experience at the hands of their dentist, others feel an uncontrollable anxiety as soon as they think of the sounds and smells of a dental clinic. Regardless, dental phobia must be overcome as dental check-ups are a vital part of maintaining good oral health.

Fortunately, more and more dentists are becoming more aware of how to ease their patients dental phobia They are now trained in how to give a kind and gentle service that sets their patients at ease and encourages them to return for further treatment. Advances in dental technology have resulted in ‘the dental wand’, a computerised injection system that administers local anaesthetic,without a needle or any sharp pains.

If you are still anxious about visiting dentist, simply adopt one or two of the following strategies. Firstly, ask for a morning appointment, this way you will have no time to stress about the check-up and you will be able to get it over and done with. If you have any concerns about surgery you may need in the future, ask to book an appointment with your dentist for just a simple consultation. During this consultation, your dentist can talk you through the steps of treatment and you can even arrange to have a ’stop signal’ if you wish, this is a sign that you may use to tell your dentist that you need a break for surgery. Finally, if you are still nervous, take a portable music device into the room with you, as listening to music will help you relax during the appointment.

February 7, 2012 at 9:57 am | dental phobia | No comment

Fighting back against your Dental Phobia in Bristol

There is nothing worse than being scared of something, it’s even worse if it could possibly start affecting your dental health; not only this, it can breed other phobias that can be detrimental to your health. The very nature of modern advertising reminds us of our teeth, which doesn’t help if the dentists chair scares you, and all you want to do is try to put it out of your mind. Most dentists in Bristol, in the past, had great difficulty carrying the work required to keep their patients healthy if they were suffering from dental phobias, which is why most are trained to deal with your fears and worries these days. It more easy to say than do, but you must at least try and talk to your dentist about the problem; be brutally honest, confront the problem by seeing your dentist, not so much as an enemy, but as someone who is there to help- a friend, maybe, in whom you can trust. Dialogue is good for the soul and it’s also good to wipe away the ignorance of what goes on during treatments; the more you learn, the more you can get involved, because dentistry has come a long way since the hammer and chisel. Modern technology has made dental procedures precise, exact, and dare it be said, virtually painless. So for the sake of your mouth and your mental health, at least go in for a chat- that can’t hurt, can it?

May 26, 2011 at 4:08 am | dental phobia | No comment

Bristol dentists’ new practices put an end to patients’ dental phobia

You might be one of the many people in Britain who suffer from some form of dental phobia. If you are then you will understand what it is like to avoid making appointments with your dentist. It is vital that you continue to visit your Bristol dentist every six months so that your oral hygiene can be monitored. In doing so you are more likely to avoid developing any painful conditions and having to undergo the surgery which most of us would rather not have to endure.

Having a fear of needles can put you off going to the dentist and memories of a painful experience in the past can be hard to shake off. Sometimes it’s not just a memory of physical pain that can cause dental phobia. If you had a disagreement or personality clash with your dentist or one of his or her staff you might find making an appointment awkward as you would rather avoid that particular person. What’s worse than this is if you perceived your dentist to be unsympathetic to a past problem. The important thing to bear in mind in this case is that there are plenty of alternative dentists in your area and you should not hesitate in find one with whom you can communicate more effectively.

Even if you have not visited the dentist in some time and feel embarrassed about the state of your mouth, don’t delay in booking an appointment. Remember that your dentist will have probably seen it all before, and worse. Don’t be put off by the negative stereotypes of dentists that still exist in the media. You will find that dentistry has changed a lot recently and dentists are particularly concerned these days with putting patients at ease by using music and even DVDs as relaxation aids. Pain-free gels mean that procedures are now more comfortable than ever.

Overcome your dental phobia by making an appointment with your Bristol dentist today.

November 3, 2010 at 4:28 am | dental phobia | No comment

Face your dental phobia with help from Chepstow dentist

Many people have a fear of the dentist. In a recent survey it was found that nearly ninety per cent of people in the UK admitted to having a fear of the dentists. While this is a very high number, there are many types and levels of fear and most people are able to put this to one side and receive the dental treatment they need. But in some cases, the fear so big that it becomes all consuming. When fear takes over and begins to affect every aspect of your life, causing anxiety, panic and stress, it is then known as a phobia.

Phobia is the most severe kind of fear and when it comes to dental phobia, prevents the patients from receiving the necessary dental treatment they may require. This can present a serious problem resulting in lost teeth, dental decay and even life-threatening gum disease.

However, despite what it may feel like when in the midst of dental phobia, it is possible to overcome the fear and conquer it completely. This often involves a large input from a Chepstow dentist. Modern dentists are trained to help anxious and phobic patients and have a far greater understanding of exactly how difficult and unsettling it can be. They are able to help you by talking through your fears and helping to alleviate them by discussing exactly what is going to happen during the treatment.

They are also trained in relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises and will even offer other forms of relaxation such as aromatherapy. This has been shown to help calm patients nerves before treatment. The first step towards successfully conquering your fear is to make an appointment to just have a chat with your dentist. By making small steps such as these you will soon be on the road to receiving the treatment you need.

August 22, 2010 at 6:14 am | dental phobia | No comment

Overcome dental phobia with help from Swindon dentist

The sweat starts running down your back. Your heart begins to beat faster and your breathing becomes heavier. You’re looking around for a way out and starting to panic. These will be familiar feelings to you if you have ever suffered from a phobia of any kind. Most of us are scared of certain things but when the fear takes over completely it becomes a phobia, something which can be very difficult to overcome.

Unfortunately for the health of many teeth, one of the most common phobias in the UK is dental phobia. There is something about the traditional image of the dentist that makes some people very afraid and stories about patients not having visited the dentist in several decades are very common. This might seem like a trivial matter but it means that they are not receiving the dental treatment they need and could be putting the health of their teeth and their overall health at considerable risk.

It is also true that many of the reasons why people initially developed a fear of the dentist no longer exist. Modern dentistry is vastly different to the dental practices that may have caused many of these dental phobias years ago. Modern dentists are trained to deal with extremely anxious patients and many people find that just talking through their concerns with a dentist can help them to face their fears.

There are other modern methods to deal with dental phobia, including aromatherapy and breathing techniques. These can help patients to relax before an appointment, allowing them to gain the dental treatment they often desperately need. Feel free to discuss your fears with a Swindon dentist who will be happy to help.

April 9, 2010 at 4:35 am | dental phobia | No comment

Conquer dental phobia with help from Bristol dentist

Thousands of people all over the world suffer from dental anxiety or the more serious dental phobia, so if you are terrified of the dentist it is important to remember that you are not alone. Dental phobia is one of the most common phobias in the UK but there is help at hand for sufferers.

Dental phobia can be caused by a number of factors including fear of embarrassment, fear of diagnosis or fear of the dentist’s tools. Any number of factors or a combination can lead a person to completely avoid the dentist’s surgery altogether. This can be very bad for a patient’s dental health as missing regular check ups can lead to an increased risk of dental problems, increasing the need to see a dentist.

The first step in overcoming dental phobia is simply to talk to a dentist. Dentists in Bristol are specially trained to deal with anxious or phobic patients and very often just talking through a procedure can help to calm the nerves. Dentists can also recommend other techniques such as self-hypnosis or breathing exercises that can help control adrenaline and reduce the anxiety. Recent studies into dental phobia have also found that aromatherapy, particularly lavender oil, is very beneficial for anxious patients before treatment.

Dental phobia can be overcome with the right help and support allowing you to get the dental treatment that you need. Make an appointment to talk through your concerns with a Bristol dentist and take the first step towards conquering your fears.

March 6, 2010 at 8:10 am | dental phobia | No comment

Overcome dental phobia with help from Bristol dentist

For some people, just the mere mention of the word dentist is enough to get the heart racing and a feeling of nausea overwhelming the whole body. Dental phobia is one of the most common phobias in the UK but most sufferers don’t realise they are far from alone in their fear.

A phobia is officially classified as an irrational or severe fear that causes an immediate anxiety response or complete avoidance of the stimulus. Boiled down for dental phobics this means their fear of the dentist is so great they will avoid going at all costs. The cruel irony of the situation being that avoiding the dentist is likely to lead to an increased need to see one for emergency treatment in the future.

Dental phobia can be caused by any number of circumstances but research has shown that several reasons crop up time and again. For many patients a previous traumatic experience at the dentist, possibly during childhood, can be the cause of lifelong associated fear. For others, it is the fear of embarrassment because of their teeth and let’s not forget the classic anxiety over pain.

Whatever the cause of the phobia it is important that patients are able to confront these fears and receive the necessary treatment. First and foremost it is important to talk to a dentist. Bristol dentists are specially trained to deal with anxious patients and often just talking about the treatment will be enough to allay some of the fear. Other options include breathing exercises or self-hypnotism to control fear during appointments, and many dentists are now experimenting with aromatherapy techniques to help clam patients. Above all, it is just important to remember that you are not alone and that the dentist will be able to help you to overcome your fears with your help.

January 1, 2010 at 4:05 pm | general dentistry | No comment

Chepstow dentist uses self-hypnosis techniques for dental phobia

In a recent survey in the UK, over 90 per cent of people admitted to having some fear of the dentist. The level of fear obviously differed from person to person and let’s face it, no one actually enjoys going to the dentist but most of us are able to overcome our fears because we realise the importance of our dental health. For others there is more of a significant fear but they are still able to overcome it. This more low level reluctance to visit the dentist is commonly known as dental anxiety.

However, for some people, the fear of the dentist is so great that they are simply not able to rationalise their dental health against their fear. This is a more serious problem known as dental phobia. They are unable to visit the dentist even for a simple check up. The irony of course is that by not visiting the dentist they are increasing the likelihood of needing more complicated dental treatment in the future.

There are many reasons why people suffer from dental phobia. It may be due to a bad experience with a dentist in the past, possibly during childhood. For others it is the lack of control when in the dentist’s chair. Some people find having dental implements in their mouth very invasive. Recent research has found that many patients suffer from a transferred phobia. This is when a parent has imposed their own phobia onto their child.

Whatever the cause of the phobia it is important that the patient is able to overcome it for the sake of their health. The first thing phobic patients need to do is simply talk to their dentist. Dentists are trained to deal with anxious patients and will be able to allay any particular fears they have. The dentists will also be able to explain what other tools are available to anxious patients such as self-hypnosis techniques. It has also recently been found that lavender oil is successful in calming patients before an appointment. Whatever the extent of your anxiety, a dentist in Chepstow will be able to talk you through the procedures and offer you helpful advice on how to overcome your fear and receive the dental treatment that we all need on a regular basis.

November 13, 2009 at 5:40 am | general dentistry | No comment

 

 

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