You are not alone if you fear dentistry! Many people do, actually it’s a very common problem people don’t schedule their dental treatment, finding excuses like: I cannot take time out of work, I do not have any pain or discomfort, so making an appointment right now it’s not a priority or treatment is expensive, I can’t afford it. But if you take a look inside your heart you might admit to yourself that you will be able to overcome all the difficulties if the fear and anxiety of the dentist would not eat at you. From my experience, nobody is born with the fear of the dentist, usually the fear is the result of a poor dental experience, maybe going as far back as childhood. Overcoming the fear, it’s a matter of trusting your dentist and the other dental professionals in the dental office. Over the years we had been able to gain the confidence of many anxious patients.
So, how do you even start to trust a dentist and make sure you make a good decision choosing him or her for your dental needs?
- Do your research thoroughly, talk to your friends and family or go online and look for a dental office with hundreds of five, or close to five stars reviews. Read as many as you can and look for reviewers who talk about overcoming their fears of the dentist, bragging about that dentist as being gentle, patient, caring and kind. Make sure the dental office has a slower pace of doing business, that they give their patients undivided attention at all times. You can ask over the phone how many patients they see on a regular basis.
- Ask for a free consultation. You will have the chance to meet the staff and the Dentist, ask questions before committing to any treatment. You want to know and feel convinced that’s the best dental office to keep you comfortable. You will have the chance to look around and get a feeling for the place, get a positive or negative vibe about the office and the staff. Be honest about your fears. Ask questions about how they handle your greatest fears like injections and drilling. It’s no shame to be afraid. Your fear is not irrational. Every thoughtful dental professional will go the extra mile to accommodate you and overcome your fears. You will mostly be assisted by the most compassionate and gentlest professionals in the practice.
- Schedule a comprehensive exam. This is absolutely painless. It’s quite entertaining and interesting. You can think about it as a camera tour of your mouth with a skilled dental specialist. The dentist will tell you all you need to know about your oral health, its beauty and its pitfalls, how to fix teeth and what are the priorities. It’s just observing, talking and building trust!
- Think about the benefits of taking care of all your dental issues, once and for all, then just visit your dentist regularly for continuing dental care. Each potential problem will be detected before escalating and likely it will be a painless quick fix.
- Try not to start agonizing about your dental treatment before it has even started. I promise you, if you do go to the right dental office and you build trust you are going to have a big laugh about your reluctance to take care of your smile, restore your confidence and gain a better quality of life.
Yours in good dental health,
Horia T. Ionescu DDS
