The reason why there are people who have difficult overcoming dental fear because of their experience with the dentist. There are cases wherein the dentist forgets to anesthetize a part of the gum where the tooth is going to be pulled out, which hit a nerve directly. Of course, when a nerve is hit that way, it would create trauma for the patient, vowing never to return to the dentist. They are also the ones spreading the fear of dentists, making most people avoid dental clinic at all costs.

The good thing is that most dentists these days are trained on how to handle patients that have difficulty overcoming dental fear through different treatments and methods that are made readily available that aids in reducing pain and at the same time alleviate their fear when they are facing the dentist right at the dentist chair.

What is the cause of it?

In the US alone, between 5 to 8 percent avoid the dentist because of fear. This is only an estimate though. Around 20 percent of them will only visit the dentist when they feel there is a necessity only, even if they fear the dentist entirely. Based on certain studies, around two-thirds of the patient tell about their fear because of a bad experience they had when they were young.

Overcoming Dental Fear

Some dentists go out of their way in creating an environment for their patients that will make them less or entirely not threatening at all. You will often find certain dental clinics that do not look like dental clinics at all. They changed the whole setting to let their patients feel comfortable and don’t remind them of what traumatized them about the clinic in the past. Many of them took down the posters that are filled with horrors regarding various gum diseases. There are a lot of objects that make the patient think about the horrible experiences they had in the past, in which the dentists have learned to take them down and replace them with something more pleasant. Dental Sedation is also recommended to help you relax before beginning dental treatment.

If these are not enough to overcome dental fear, here are some tips that will help you, the patient, deal with it.

Tips for overcoming dental fear

1. It is best that you understand your feelings. This means that you have to recognize them rather than running away. Write down your fears so that it will be easier for you to talk about it later.
2. One of the biggest parts of your dental fears is the kind of dentist you are working with. As much as possible, choose the right dentist that you are comfortable to work with. You can look this up at the local listings and even ask your friends or family for any recommendations.
3. You need to learn to communicate your anxiety and fears. This is one thing that will help you build up with the dentist. When you are vocal about your anxiety, fears, and apprehensions, it will help you and the dentist gauge with the situation and create an action plan that is best suited to your needs.

Dr. Anoosh Afifi is very professional when it comes to handling his patients with difficulty in overcoming dental fear. You can set an appointment with us or visit our Capitol Hill Seattle Dental office. 

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It’s uncommon for young kids to understand that the bacteria inside their mouth are what hurt their teeth. Therefore, it is vital that you have a dentist for your own child to assure that his or her teeth will remain clean and healthy together with your supervision. Here are the following tips that can help you choose the best pediatric dentist in town.

1. Seek for recommendation

If you have any friends whose child has own dentist, you must seek a recommendation from them. Especially if the dentist has provided excellent services for them, they can give you a name or two. Once you got the name of the dentists, search them up on the internet. If they have their own website, that would be even better. Check out the services that they offer and check reviews about their past clients as well. Pick one of the dentists you’ve searched and proceed to the next step.

2. Check his active license to practice

Make sure that you also check the active license to practice of the dentist as well as his credentials. You might want to choose a dentist who has undergone training for pediatric dental care. If you are satisfied that this dentist can do his job properly, you can now give him a call.

3. Evaluate during the first initial interaction

Once you gave him a call and queried about his services, try to evaluate the dentist’s behavior and management skills. Is he friendly? Does he sound genuine? This is the same voice and the same manner that would be talking to your child. The last thing that you wanted them to experience is to view dentists as unforgiving monsters. Make sure that he is good dealing with children otherwise your own kid will not want to attend any of his dental appointments, making it harder for you to keep his teeth clean and healthy.

4. Check out his office

Now, if you wanted to set an appointment with the dentist, it’s important that you visit his office first with your child. The environment must be inviting and not suffocate. Staff should be friendly, and everything should always be clean and sanitized. Most pediatric dentists put up colorful posters of animals or characters brushing their teeth to encourage children in doing the same, while appealing to their vision.

5. Consider the location

Lastly, you should consider the location. If you are working, you might want a dentist’s office that is located in the heart of the city or just near your house. You can visit our Capitol Hill Seattle Dental Office. In that way, it wouldn’t take that much time in driving your kid to his dental appointment and going places after he had been a good kid to the dentist.

There you go. Follow these tips in looking for the right kid’s dentist for your children. Since children love eating sweets and desserts, they are more prone to teeth damage. Protect your child’s teeth by making sure that he sees a licensed dentist who can manage his teeth properly.