Techniques Used By Dentists To Help Phobic Patients Manage

For someone who is very anxious about visiting a dentist, just getting to the dentist's office can feel like an accomplishment. 

Even though this feeling can be overcome after some gentle coxing, patients who consciously or unconsciously avoid necessary dental work have developed a phobia that requires help from an experienced dentist. 

Many dentists specialize in treating patients who have dental phobia.

Some dental phobic patients would rather watch their teeth rot and fall out than step inside an office. Unfortunately, many of these behaviors are associated with dental experiences that were very traumatic in childhood. 

While many phobic patients know that this behavior is for the most part irrational, the panic symptoms displayed are often worse than the actual thoughts.

Some common panic symptoms include: - Uncontrollable shaking - Heart palpations - Fainting - Feelings of nausea Most of these symptoms are related to fearing lack of control in the situation. 

A great dentist is very familiar with these symptoms and the fear of dentists and knows several ways to help you manage or even overcome your fear.

Below are some tips used by caring dentists:

1. On the phone before your visit, mention that you may be phobic and have a fear of dentists. Kind dentists modify visits to fit your pace such as the first visit is for cleaning and not for surgical treatment.

2. A good dentist's practices a "painless practice" using discomfort-reducing techniques such as topicals like anesthetic gels and air abrasion units.

3. If treatment requires several phases, these phases can be spread out and scheduled based on how long you feel comfortable sitting in the chair.

4. Knowing that fear is a healthy survival mechanism is often the key to putting a phobic patient and their fear into perspective.

5. Dentists who provide knowledge about what they're about to perform can ease a patient who is presuming to experience lots of pain. This knowledge dispels careless statements that the patient may have heard in the past that made the dentist the bad guy like "If you don't behave, I'll take you to the dentist!"

6. A great dentist takes pride in operating a "painless practice". These dentists use many phobic discomfort reducing techniques that are often topical such as anesthetic gels and air abrasion units.

7. Shorter visits and spread out treatment allow the patient's work to be completed in phases.

8. A dental office follow up call lets patients know that the dentist cares. Other ways that dentists follow up is with painkillers like ibuprofen or long-lasting anesthesia.

The author of Phobic Patients is Olivia Mandri

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Source:  Article Phobic Patients was submitted by Olivia Mandri for publication.

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