Fear of Dentists
Almost everyone has a certain fear of visiting the dentist, some more than others. Memories of the last visit such as smells and sounds trigger fears and worries in many people.
Test: How scared are you of a visit to the dentist?
- Do you have tachycardia, tremors, sweating, nausea, chest pain, cramps or similar whenever the day of an appointment is coming near?
- Have you ever cancelled an appointment or not made a new one as a result of it?
- Have you ever stayed away from an urgent treatment as a result of it?
- Do you shy away from laughing in public because then others might see your teeth which would need attention?
If you answered more than one question with “yes”, there is a high chance that you already have a strong fear of the dental visit.
Things you can do against your fear
- Look for a dentist you can trust! Ask around your friends and family whom they trust
- Mention your fears to your dentist and the team before treatment
- Ask the dentist to explain every step of the treatment to you individually
- Agree beforehand on a stop-signal
- Bring something to listen to your favourite music
- Breath calmly. Flex and relax your muscles by slowly making a fist with both hands five times
- Ask for an injection beforehand. The area around the puncture can be numbed down, so that you don’t feel anything
- Treatment can be gentle and safe with hypnosis
- Acupuncture, ear acupuncture, Bach flower therapy and herbal remedies can be used as support
- If behavioural therapy, depth psychology or hypnosis don’t work, there is the option of psychotropic drugs or anaesthesia
Supporting holistic therapies: ear acupuncture, homeopathy, bio resonance therapy, herbal medicines, magnet field therapy, orthomolecular therapy, ozone therapy, aromatherapy and Bach flower remedies.