How not to be afraid of the dentist: advice and recommendations. A child is afraid of a dentist - what to do?

Fear of dentists has a lot of names: dentofobia, odontophobia, dentofobia. But the essence of this does not change. Many people experience just a wild fear of an impending visit to the doctor. And almost everyone thinks: " How to stop being afraid of a dentist?". In this article, we will consider in detail the causes of this phobia, which took the scale of the epidemic, as well as ways to get rid of it.

What is dentofobia?

Of course, any person will be a little nervous before going to the dentist. Some are just slightly worried and feel a bit uncomfortable. In others, the mere thought of having to go to the doctor causes panic fear, and because of the kind of drill starts hysterics. It is this case that is called dentophobia - fear of dentists. Many people simply do not know what to do if you are afraid to go to the dentist.

But it is worth remembering that dentofobia is the extreme degree of fear of dentists. Such a fear is simply impossible to control, a person can lose consciousness. Some people may have a hypertensive crisis or an attack of angina. These patients completely do not go on contact, to any doctor it is not possible to calm them and persuade. People suffering from such a phobia, go to the doctor can only force the most extreme case. For example, when toothache is already unbearable, the usual painkillers are already powerless, and eating just becomes torture.

What exactly are the patients afraid of?

Why do people fear dentists? Everyone knows that most of all patients are afraid of pain. Not so terrible are the injections, the drill and other tools, like the fact that they can cause pain.

In addition, the feeling of discomfort is:

1. Helplessness.
2. Uncertainty.
3. Fear of showing your unhealthy teeth.
4. Fear about the amount of payment for treatment.

How to overcome dentofobia?

Having learned why so many people are afraid of dentists, we will consider methods of combating dentophobia. First of all, it should be noted that getting rid of fear is a process of long and hard work on yourself and manifestation of your willpower. Do not think that it's easy and simple, show a little patience and going to the dentist will no longer seem like the end of the world.

So, you all thought it over and came to the conclusion: "I'm afraid of a dentist." What to do in this case? To begin with, understand that postponing a visit to the dental, you make yourself and your health worse. You are afraid that the doctor will hurt you, but you yourself trigger the situation until the tooth itself begins to ache.

If you are afraid of a dentist, pull yourself together, call and make an appointment. Then you will have no choice but to appear at the appointed time. And when you come, discuss with the doctor all the details, ask all the questions of interest.

Another good way, as not to be afraid of the dentist, is to read the medical reference books. Try before going to the doctor to read in books about his illness, the ways of her treatment, and you will understand that there is nothing terrible in this. An additional incentive to visit a doctor will be viewing pictures of patients before and after treatment.

Choose a clinic that is located near your home, looks cozy and friendly. Study all doctors in the chosen clinic, read reviews about them, tune in to positive contact with the dentist. Many doctors also know that patients are afraid of panicking to come to their reception. If you warn the doctor in advance about your fear, he will try to calm and support you. Thus, you easily adapt to the medical environment and tune in for treatment.

If your greatest fear is pain, then discuss the options for anesthesia with the doctor in advance. To reduce the fear of the patient, some dentists offer sedation.

Sedation is the preparatory form of general anesthesia. This procedure leads to a decrease in sensitivity, reduces anxiety and the person is half asleep.

How to stop being afraid of a dentist?

This question worries every dentofob. There are several tips that will help get rid of obsessive fear.

1. First, decide what exactly you are afraid: to remove the tooth, to treat tooth decay, to do an anesthetic injection, to remove the nerve or other.
2. Then you should determine why you are afraid of it. For example, you are afraid to tear the tooth out of fear of pain. You are afraid to drill your teeth, because you are afraid of the sound of a drill. And so you should work out all your fears.
3. It is necessary to consult a doctor. Many clinics provide such a service before proceeding directly to dentistry. You can ask the doctor any question. For example, if you are afraid of pain, then discuss with him questions of anesthesia. Communicating with a doctor and discussing their problems and fears helps to get rid of fear and feel comfortable in the dental chair.
4. In no case should you delay a visit to the doctor. Do not rely on the fact that, perhaps, you will become less afraid. So you will only waste time, and the condition of your teeth will deteriorate significantly.
5. Before visiting a doctor, you need a good rest and a healthy sleep. Take sedatives immediately before going to the dentist. Try to relax and think about the good. Before the reception, do not plan any important activities that can cause stress.

With the help of these simple tips, we learned how not to be afraid of a dentist. Stick to them, and going to the doctor will no longer cause you negative emotions.

How to get rid of fear with the help of a doctor?

Dentists also have a hard time when a patient comes to them, who is afraid to sit down in a chair. In this case, the doctor should help him to calm down. The dentist should talk with the patient, find out the cause of the fear, talk about all the necessary procedures. Establishing contact with the patient is a very important factor in the work of the dentist.

Dental clinics are now trying to minimize the stress of clients and make visiting a doctor comfortable and painless. To do this, use:

1. Classical music or sounds of nature that soothe and relax.
2. Provision of qualitative anesthesia.
3. Some clinics provide customers with video glasses to enjoy watching the movie while the doctor is working.

If you do not know how not to be afraid of the dentist, and all your attempts are meaningless, then you need to seek help from a doctor-psychotherapist.

Dentofobia in children

Unfortunately, children are more prone to fear of dentists. The most dangerous age is 3-5 years. During this period, children can not explain what they are afraid of, and poorly control their emotions. The causes of childhood dentophobia are the same as those of mature people:

1. Uncertainty.
2. Fear of pain.
3. Bad memories from a previous visit to the doctor.
4. Parental behavior.

How not to fear a dentist for young children?

Many parents ask themselves: "A child is afraid of a dentist: what to do?". To prevent the formation of dentophobia in the future and to reduce the fear of the child at present, it is necessary:

1. That the doctor was in contact with the child. Conducting a small excursion around the cabinet, interesting stories about working tools will help the child to settle and stop being afraid.
2. The use of anesthesia is mandatory.
3. Apply silent techniques. The sound of the drill, unpleasant sensations, smell - all this only aggravates children's fear.
4. Use multimedia devices. The child will relax when listening to pleasant music or while watching your favorite cartoon.
5. Correct parental behavior. In no case should you frighten a child by going to the dentist or telling him that it can be painful. Do not make a march to the dentist a big event. Baby from childhood should remember that dental care is mandatory and there is nothing special about this. In addition, do not show your child any fears, be calm and balanced.

Reminder for dentofob

Summarizing all of the above, we will compile a short list of tips on how to calm down and stop being afraid of the dentist.

1. It is necessary to decide what exactly you are afraid of, and discuss it with the doctor.
2. You need to get acquainted with all the means of anesthesia that will be used in the process of your treatment.
3. Choose only good and proven dentistry.
4. It is necessary to consult a doctor and ask him any questions you are interested in. Established contact with the doctor is half the success.
5. The cost of treatment should be stipulated before you began to be treated.
6. We need to come up with and discuss with the doctor a conventional sign, after which the doctor should pause. This will help build trust between you and the dentist.
7. The use of anesthesia is mandatory.

Conclusion

From this article you learned how not to fear a dentist, examined the causes of the appearance of dentofobia and ways to eliminate it. Adhere to these simple recommendations, and going to the dentist will cause only positive emotions.