Fear of the Dentist

There are many fears that people have in this world and fear of the dentist is one. I’ll talk about how to overcome this fear and maybe put you on a path to conquer other fears. I’ve also listed some of the possible causes and symptoms of dental anxiety.

Consequently, I see life differently now that I have conquered my fear of driving. When you prevail over your first fear, you’re ready for the next one. The shades come off and your ready to face life head-on. It is so liberating, I sincerely hope you experience it.

So, getting back to the fear of the dentist. Exposure therapy is how I got over my fear of driving. Therefore, maybe you can work with your dentist about slowly getting used to the people and the situations that you experience there. Basically, you’re taking one baby step at a time because you don’t want to overwhelm yourself. I know you can have overwhelming anxiety when facing your fear, but you have to fight that fear in order to abolish it. You can do it, I know you can!

“Someday is not a day of the week.”– Denise Brennan-Nelson

Anxiety and Overthinking

I overthink a lot when my anxiety kicks in. Even though I don’t have a dental phobia, I can relate because of social phobia. Basically, I don’t like to be around other people (even family). Altogether, my anxiety increases…a lot. But I force myself into those situations because I don’t want to hide from everybody the rest of my life. That is not living, that’s becoming a hermit.

At any rate, you should face your dental phobia face-on. Eventually, the phobia will have less of a hold on you. Phobias feed on the fear in your mind. Take away that fear, no more phobia. I know “it’s easier said than done.” For example, I had anxiety when driving. Basically, I slowly acclimated to the process of dealing with that fear. I took mini steps (just sit in the car, just start the car and then finally put it in gear). I was extremely nervous the first time, so I just drove around my neighborhood. Then, I graduated to driving on regular roads. I can proudly say that I’m over my phobia of driving. So, don’t overthink your fear of the dentist, overpower it!

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”– Napoleon Hill

Dental Anxiety Symptoms

People with dental anxiety may experience:

sweating
racing heartbeat (tachycardia) or palpitations
visible distress, crying or signs of panic
low blood pressure and possible fainting (syncope)
withdrawal, or using humor or aggression to mask anxiety.

Some anxious people with dental anxiety will routinely miss or avoid dental appointments and may find it difficult to undergo dental treatment regardless of whether it is simple or complex.

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”– Brian Tracy

Causes of Dental Anxiety and Phobia

Dental anxiety can be caused by:

a traumatic dental experience or other healthcare experience
previous trauma to the head and neck
other traumatic experiences, including abuse
generalized anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder
the view that the mouth is a personal area and accessing the mouth is an invasion of personal space
fear of loss of control
trust issues
anxiety associated with other conditions such as agoraphobia (fear of being in situations where you feel you cannot escape), claustrophobia (fear of closed spaces) or obsessive compulsive disorder where there is an obsession around cleanliness.

“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.” – Jordan Belfort

Stop Panic Attack

If you’re terrified of the dentist and have panic attacks whenever you visit him/her, then this is how you stop the panic attack dead in its tracks!

There are steps you can take to manage the symptoms until the attack resolves, including:

Practicing deep breathing: Hyperventilating is a symptom of panic attacks that can increase fear. Deep breathing can reduce symptoms of panic during an attack. Breathe in as slowly, deeply and gently as you can through your nose and breathe out slowly through your mouth. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing.

Acknowledging that you’re having a panic attack: Knowing that you’re having a panic attack — and not a dangerous health episode — can help manage the fear you’re experiencing. Remind yourself that the attack is temporary and will pass.

Relaxing your muscles: Anxiety attacks can cause you to tense your muscles. Focus on relaxing one muscle group at a time to reduce tension and stay present.

Practicing mindfulness: A panic attack can make you feel detached from reality or your body. Practice mindfulness and focus on the present to center your thoughts and ground yourself.

“Do not dwell in the past; do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” – Buddha

Phobia Treatment

Psychotherapy, medications or a combination of both are very effective in treating panic attacks and panic disorder. How long you’ll need treatment depends on the severity of the condition and how well you respond to treatment.

Psychotherapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): In this type of therapy, you discuss your thoughts and emotions with a mental health professional, such as a licensed counselor or psychologist. This specialist helps identify panic attack triggers so you can change your thinking, behaviors and reactions. As you start to respond differently to triggers, the attacks may decrease and ultimately stop.

Exposure therapy: This involves exposing you gradually and repeatedly — in your imagination and/or in reality — to whatever triggers a panic attack. Over time, you learn to become comfortable with the situation instead of it causing anxiety and panic. You’ll learn relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, to manage your anxiety throughout the process (like I mentioned earlier).

Medications

Antidepressants: Certain antidepressant medications can make panic attacks less frequent or less severe. Healthcare providers may prescribe serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac®) and paroxetine (Paxil®). SNRIs include duloxetine (Cymbalta®) and venlafaxine (Effexor®).

Anti-anxiety medications: Providers most commonly prescribe benzodiazepines to treat and prevent panic attacks. They help with anxiety but have addiction potential, so it’s important to take them with caution. These medications include alprazolam (Xanax®) and lorazepam (Ativan®).

“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

Conclusion

If you have extreme anxiety at the dentist, I suggest you try the medications or psychotherapy so you have some control over the fear. Due to my medication and willingness to face my fears head-on, I am ready to conquer other phobias. Once you get to the other side of your path, life becomes more natural again. Hence, I hate to say this, but it took me 10 -15 years to learn this. I was just wallowing in self pity, being consumed by all my fears.

For this reason, I feel so much freer now (less constricted). Don’t get me wrong, I still have fears that I’m gradually working on, but it’s getting easier and easier to live! So, if you have a fear of the dentist, take your time on working on it. You don’t want to rush it because the fear will just get worse. I know, it’s probably at it’s highest point now, right? And you can’t stand it anymore! Just hang in there and you will see a clear path on the other side of fear, I did! Until next time…