Fear of the Dentist and Getting Your Teeth Into the Solution
Fear of the dentist is a condition that affects many of us, especially if we do not go regularly. A lot of people get so worried that their oral health declines, causing gum infections, gum disease, tooth cavities and abscesses.
There are many techniques available today that can help make going to the dentist more comfortable for you by eliminating or lessening your anxiety to a manageable level. A survey by the British Dental Association found that 25% of people feared visiting the dentist.
People are afraid of the dentist at different levels. Fearing what you don’t know is the most common fear. Dental fear is a reaction to a danger that you know about. As an example, you could have had negative experience at the dentists when you were a child and you are concerned it may reoccur, it may hurt, will I suffer an upset stomach? The highest level is dental phobia which is similar to dental fear but much worse, and it is also the result of unpleasant past experiences, which usually caused you pain.
So what may you be frightened of?
A fear of needles
A fear of dental instruments in your mouth
The worry you might vomit
Unsympathetic dentists
Bad childhood experiences
Fear of the drill
Fear of anaesthetic
Feeling vulnerable
There are three factors that tend to keep your fear of the dentist going.
Sensitisation (you find it difficult going to the dentist)
Avoidance (you stop going to the dentist)
Negative, distorted self talk (which terrifies you)
When a person learns to associate their extreme anxiety to the dentist or the dentist’s office, a dental phobia results. If you start to feel panic surge up into your throat as you make the appointment over the phone or as you walk into the clinic, you might start to feel that way every time you find yourself in a dental-related situation. Sensitization means that just thinking of the dentist can immediately make you anxious.
If the sensitive feeling subsides your natural reaction may be to forget that it ever happened. Repeated avoidance is very satisfying because it allows you to avoid anxiety. The best way to hang on to your phobias or fears is to avoid them altogether. This holds you back from getting a grip on them.
The third factor that perpetuates fears of going to the dentist, is distorted self talk. The more worry and anticipatory anxiety you experience about something you fear, the more likely you are to be involved in unconstructive self talk connected with that fear. Realize you may experience fear or other negative ideas about going to the dentists. Both the negative self talk and negative image serve to perpetuate your fears, guaranteeing that you remain afraid. They also undermine your confidence that you can ever get over your fear. Without negative self talk and negative images you would be much more likely to overcome your avoidance and go to the dentists comfortably.
Hypnotherapy Plymouth can assist you with this. Hypnotherapy is useful in the way that it can help you overcome all kinds of fears, while you are comfortable and relaxed.
First you must locate a considerate dentist, and you’ll discover with regular appointments you’ll begin to experience confidence, which will increase with every visit. The icing on the cake is that you’ll gain a pearly white smile and fresher breath.
My extreme dental phobia was finally cured once I found a good Plymouth hynotherapist that could relieve my dental fears and a great dentist that understood these fears.
If you can find a dentist who has good listening skills, it can really help you start getting over your fears – try asking your friends or co-workers if they know of a dentist who is good with people who have anxiety. It’s imperative that you talk with the dentist about your fears and concerns and be able to feel comfortable with it. There are many things a person can do to release anxiety.
Relaxation and distraction techniques
Pain free injection
Sedation
Listening carefully to you, giving you time
Explaining the procedures
One of the questions you may have when considering hypnosis is, how will it rid me of this phobia?
That’s one of the many problems Hypnotherapy Plymouth deals with.
NLP is one of the many techniques that Hypnotherapists implement to deal with phobias.
They often start the session by using breathing and relaxation techniques, followed by working with the negative self talk, and changing it to positive calm thinking,
Picture yourself walking into the dental office for a routine exam, feeling confident and secure, and as you ponder dentists and drills, you will feel serene and at home, and you will envision yourself leaving the office with a sensation of self-assurance and joy.
You’ll experience a terrific feeling, realizing you’ll never need to dodge the matter another time, and you’l beam with the realization that you are showing off your pearly whites and fragrant fresh breath.
Tags: dental fear, fear of the dentist, hypnotherapist plymouth, hypnotherapy plymouth