Expert answers
We know how daunting dental treatment can be. Our Dental Phobia certified experts are here to help ease your mind before treatment by answering your questions.
How Can I Overcome My Fear of the Dentist?
Hello. I saw you online and I do have a question, I hope you don’t mind. Well, I have a very big fear of the dentist – obviously it’s not the actual dental nurses that I hate, but when I was younger in my teens, I had to have a back molar extracted. The dentist at the time tried to pull it out himself, which he never succeeded in doing, because it was a deep root. Then I had to go to the hospital anyway to get it taken out, and since that day (I’m now in my mid thirties) I am scared of the dentist. I do however need to go to the dentist, because my top molar’s filling came out and I need that sorted. Plus I have a clicky jaw, and sometimes my jaw will lock and I can’t open my mouth too wide, which scares me even more! My question is: how can I overcome this big fear of the dentist? I get incredibly anxious and I don’t like it. I know it doesn’t take very long to have a filling or check up. But, I have tried for so long to put it off and I really can’t and shouldn’t do this any more! Please, if you have any advice or info, I would appreciate it very much :) Thank you.
Hello. The first thing to do is to pluck up the courage to find a dentist, then ring and make an appointment. Without doing that then nothing can change. Acknowledge that you will be anxious when you do this, but it will go away when you have finished the call.
The first visit will just be to have a look, and it’s best to ask for that, probably having x-rays.
If you don’t need an extraction, then you don’t have to worry about that. If you do, then you need to make the dentist aware of why you are afraid.
Just take one step at a time. Hope this helps, Jenny.
