Some people don't look forward to dental appointments any more than they look forward to visiting a physician. It is not always that the dental procedures will be painful but the thought of being examined can make people stressed.
Some level of dentist anxiety is acceptable. The thought of going to the dentist can be terrifying for those with dental phobia. This people can be so scared to an extent that they can do anything to avoid dental appointments.
A phobia is an intense, unreasonable fear of a specific activity, object or situation. It is on record that people who have dental phobia can put off dental checkups for years on end. They can persevere pain, broken teeth, gum infections and unsightly teeth rather than make a dental appointment.
Many times the words 'phobia' and 'anxiety' are used to explain the same thing but this is not the case. They are different.
When you suffer dental anxiety, you tend to feel uneasiness at the time of dental appointments. Exaggerated worries and fears is what happens with people who have dental anxiety. Dental phobia is described as a serious condition and can be characterized by great fear and dread. If you have dental phobia, you are not only anxious, you become terrified or panic stricken.
Dental phobia and anxiety comes in different degrees.At the extreme, a person with dental phobia may never see a dentist. Some may get themselves to go but stay awake the night before. It is a common thing to see feel sick or actually fall sick while at the waiting room.
If mental disorders can be treated, so can dental phobias. Over time, dental phobia can become worse if not treated because it can cause emotional stress as dental visits become more and more uncomfortable to attend. Usually, people who are tense have very low pain threshold which translates to them having minimal pain as compared to other people. Additional anesthetic or pain treatments might be needed.They may even develop stress-related problems in other parts of the body, such as headaches or muscle stiffness in the neck or back.
Dental phobias and anxieties have many reasons why they occur. Research carried from some patients have a few common similarities.
Pain: The fear of pain is most common in adults 24 years and older, probably because their early dental experiences happened before many of the advances in "pain-free" dentistry.
Feelings of helplessness and loss of control: You are meant to remain still while at the dental chair. You end up feeling that you cannot see or predict what is going on. It's common for people to feel helplessness and a loss of control.
Embarrassment: The mouth is considered an intimate part of the body by many, therefore they feel embarrassed and ashamed to have a stranger get inside to look. The physical closeness associated with dental treatments with the dentist's face being just a few inches away makes many people anxious and uncomfortable.
Negative past experiences: Experiences of previous dental procedure pain and discomfort in more cases than one cause anxiety when the next appointment is around.
Everyone experiences various fears and concerns and copes with them in different ways. Actually dental work and procedures are not to make anyone overwhelmed or terrified. But if you find yourself having anxiety, then you should look for help to overcome the fear.
Some level of dentist anxiety is acceptable. The thought of going to the dentist can be terrifying for those with dental phobia. This people can be so scared to an extent that they can do anything to avoid dental appointments.
A phobia is an intense, unreasonable fear of a specific activity, object or situation. It is on record that people who have dental phobia can put off dental checkups for years on end. They can persevere pain, broken teeth, gum infections and unsightly teeth rather than make a dental appointment.
Many times the words 'phobia' and 'anxiety' are used to explain the same thing but this is not the case. They are different.
When you suffer dental anxiety, you tend to feel uneasiness at the time of dental appointments. Exaggerated worries and fears is what happens with people who have dental anxiety. Dental phobia is described as a serious condition and can be characterized by great fear and dread. If you have dental phobia, you are not only anxious, you become terrified or panic stricken.
Dental phobia and anxiety comes in different degrees.At the extreme, a person with dental phobia may never see a dentist. Some may get themselves to go but stay awake the night before. It is a common thing to see feel sick or actually fall sick while at the waiting room.
If mental disorders can be treated, so can dental phobias. Over time, dental phobia can become worse if not treated because it can cause emotional stress as dental visits become more and more uncomfortable to attend. Usually, people who are tense have very low pain threshold which translates to them having minimal pain as compared to other people. Additional anesthetic or pain treatments might be needed.They may even develop stress-related problems in other parts of the body, such as headaches or muscle stiffness in the neck or back.
Dental phobias and anxieties have many reasons why they occur. Research carried from some patients have a few common similarities.
Pain: The fear of pain is most common in adults 24 years and older, probably because their early dental experiences happened before many of the advances in "pain-free" dentistry.
Feelings of helplessness and loss of control: You are meant to remain still while at the dental chair. You end up feeling that you cannot see or predict what is going on. It's common for people to feel helplessness and a loss of control.
Embarrassment: The mouth is considered an intimate part of the body by many, therefore they feel embarrassed and ashamed to have a stranger get inside to look. The physical closeness associated with dental treatments with the dentist's face being just a few inches away makes many people anxious and uncomfortable.
Negative past experiences: Experiences of previous dental procedure pain and discomfort in more cases than one cause anxiety when the next appointment is around.
Everyone experiences various fears and concerns and copes with them in different ways. Actually dental work and procedures are not to make anyone overwhelmed or terrified. But if you find yourself having anxiety, then you should look for help to overcome the fear.
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