How To Eliminate Your Fear of Dentists

It’s quite normal to be afraid of dentists. Heck, even my own dentist told me that she hates going to the dentist herself, so what hope have you and I got?

And of course there are always the sharp pointed implements they poke around with. And those scary drills.

Just what can you do to get over your fear of dentists?

1. Use a good dentist

With that description, I don’t mean just choose a dentist because they do perfect work (fortunately most all of them do). I mean that you should pick who is aware of your worries and has a track record of dealing with patients like you already. If necessary, check with your friends and people you work with. Just the same as some doctors are friendlier than others, it follows that some dentists cope with fearful patients better than others do.

2. Interview your dentist

Don’t commit yourself to a dentist before you have actually talked with them. Explain that you’re afraid of dentists and find out what they can do to assist you and reassure you when you go to them for a check up or to have fillings, crowns, etc.

3. Take a friend or work colleague

Ask your dentist if you can bring someone with you when you have a dentists appointment. Someone to figuratively or literally hold your hand while you’re being examined. If this isn’t permitted then, unless the next dentist is too far away, move down your list and talk to the next dentist on it.

4. Try to relax

Sure. While you’re laying back in that chair and you grip the chair’s arms so tight you can feel the frame inside, this likely isn’t easy. Although it does get slightly easier with practice. But learn how to relax more – this might be meditation, playing your favorite record, learning a breathing exercise, whatever. Then, when you are helpless in the dentist’s chair, think about relaxing and take a really deep breath. Rather than the quick breaths that you’ve done previously.

5. Try hypnotism

Yup. This actually works. You can get a specially recorded hypnosis track for fear of dentists and listen to it in the privacy of your own home. Over a few days or weeks of playing yourself a hypnosis track for fear of dentists, you’ll find them becoming less scary.

This entry was posted on December 28, 2008 at 2:27 am and is filed under Dentists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.