Afraid of your dentist – you’re not alone!
What do you feel when you hear the word “dentist”? Do you get nervous? Are you afraid? Does having dental work scare you? If the answer to any of these questions is “YES”, then you’re not alone. A survey carried out in Israel showed that almost 50% of Israelis suffer from a fear of dentists and dental treatments. One out of every five people suffers from extreme fear and anxiety also known as “Dental Phobia”.
We don’t always know the cause of the fear. Sometimes it can be because of a bad experience that the patient went through. It can be caused by a specific noise in surgery, like the noise made by the drill which scares many patients. Or it can be a fear of the anesthetic and injections.
Sometimes, fear and anxiety are caused by the feeling of helplessness in the dentist’s chair and the fact that the dentist encroaches on our personal space.
Strong or unexpected pain, treatment that the patient didn’t want, an unfriendly or unsympathetic dentist or just hearing the bad experiences of others in the waiting room also contribute to feelings of fear and anxiety.
Patient responses range from physical reactions such as shaking, stomach pains, accelerated heart beat and a dry mouth to avoiding dental treatments all together.
Here too, modern dentistry has something to offer. For all those patients who suffer from fear and anxiety because of dental treatments, here are a few useful tips that will help them overcome and defeat their fears.
First and foremost – a good dentist:
Before we explain about some of treatments offered in the world of dentistry, here is one piece of very good advice: choose a dentist that is gentle and considerate, a dentist who will understand what you’re experiencing and who will help you get over your fear. Ask your friends about their dentist, are they kind and considerate, are they professional. Find out as much as you can about the clinic’s staff. Remember – knowledge is strength!
Local anesthetic using a WAND:
Fear of the anesthetic and its injection is one of the greatest fears involved in dental treatments. A device known as a WAND lets the dentist administer an almost painless local anesthetic. The WAND lets the dentist inject the anesthetic very slowly. Also, the end of the WAND is extremely thin which also helps to reduce pain. Unlike a regular syringe, it’s possible to anesthetize just the tooth without anesthetizing the lips and the tongue.
Laughing Gas – N2O
Laughing gas is a combination of oxygen and nitrous oxide and is used to help calm the patient and give them a pleasant feeing of disorientation. Use of laughing gas is especially common when treating children but it can also be used for adults, those with high blood pressure or with heart diseases.
The gas is administered through a small mask that’s placed over the patient’s nose throughout the treatment. Its effect is felt almost immediately and dissipates just as rapidly when the mask is removed. Laughing gas is safe to use, is environmentally friendly and has no side effects. It is used in dental surgeries and also in delivery rooms and intensive care ambulances.
The dentist has total control over the ratio of oxygen and nitrous oxide in the gas: the higher the concentration of laughing gas in the body, so the patient feels calmer, more relaxed and disassociated. It can often have an analgesic, pain relieving effect. At the same time, the patient is in complete control and full consciousness.
Patients who will be administered laughing gas mustn’t eat anything at least three hours before the treatment. It is possible that there may be a slight feeling of nausea.
Use of laughing gas is not recommended for pregnant women and those suffering from obstructive pulmonary diseases.
Sedation
Sedation is a partial anesthetic technique that cause disorientation of the senses and stupor at varying levels and up to that of a general anesthetic. However, the patient is not totally unaware of their environment and can still, to an extent, react. The preliminary stage before administering a general anesthetic is deep sedation.
During deep sedation, the patient is asleep and can be awakened through the use of appropriate stimuli. Sedation requires great skill and a close monitoring of the patient’s heart and breathing. It cannot be administered by all doctors. An anesthesiologist sedates the patient alongside the dentist. Some dentists have been trained to administer sedation but, in order to ensure proper treatment if an emergency arises, two doctors and a nurse or dental technician are needed.
The anesthesiologist is responsible for the functioning of the patient’s lungs and heart before, during and after the procedure until the patient regains consciousness.
Because of this, before any dental treatment using general anesthetic or sedation a full medical review must be carried out of the patient’s medical history and medical risks involved in the procedure.
Treatment with sedation allows the patient to lay comfortably and relaxed during the dental treatment thus allowing the dental surgeon to complete the treatment without disturbance.
A special monitor is attached to one of the patient’s fingers that monitors their oxygen levels and heart rate in order to assess the effect of the sedation.
General Anesthetic
A general anesthetic is given with an infusion, consisting of a number of drugs, into a vein. The patient feels no pain and remains disorientated for a few hours after completion of the procedure. The anesthetic is absorbed by body fats and the blood flow and reduces pain levels when compared to the same treatment without a general anesthetic.
However, when using a general anesthetic there can be no cooperation between dentist and patient as the patient is totally anesthetized. They have no control over the environment, are totally cut-off from their surroundings and incapable of performing any actions what so ever.
It is easier for the dentist to perform the procedure and achieve better aesthetic results when the patient is awake and opening and closing their mouth and moving their jaw and the soft tissues around it. But with treatment under general anesthetic, the patient is asleep, the soft tissues are totally relaxed, the natural movement of the jaw and soft tissue are not under control and the patient is inactive.
And finally, a few helpful tips…
Tell your dentist about your feelings and fears. Tell him (or her) what worries you, ask for an explanation about the treatment you’re about to have. Knowledge is power! Don’t be afraid to ask. Ask all the questions that you can think of about the treatment and its various stages. Knowing what’s in front of you will reduce anxiety about the unknown and help you overcome the fear.
To overcome the fear generated by the noise of the dental instruments, listen to your favorite music. Relaxation techniques such as yoga or proper breathing can also help. Just as when treating children, don’t wait until the pain starts. Make sure to have a regular checkup at your dentist and make sure to take preventative measures. Little problems are easier to treat than big problems.
And something else… The next generation is directly influenced by our behavior and reactions. If we show fear and worry before dental treatment, then the message we pass on to them is that the dentist is someone to be afraid of. Try to give them a feeling of calm about dentists and visits to the dental clinic. Bring them for regular checkups and try to make their experience at the dentist a positive one. When talking to them try to use positive, encouraging phrases. Negative phrases like “Don’t be afraid” or “It won’t hurt”, “It’s only an injection” could increase the child’s fear of the dentist and dental treatment. So try to avoid them.
