What is dentophobia? People with dentophobia, also called odontophobia, have a fear of dentists. Someone with dentophobia may have extreme anxiety at the thought of going to the dentist or while in the dentist's office.
Fear of dental treatment is described in both ICD-10 classification and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-IV, in specific (isolated) phobias, a subgroup of anxiety disorders [9, 10].
Dental fear and dental anxiety are different psychological states for patients. Dental anxiety is a reaction to feeling danger or apprehension in dental situations; on the other hand, fear is generally regarded as a physiological, behavioral and emotional response to a feared stimulus.
The overarching concept is “odontophobia”, which encompasses “dental anxiety”, “dental fear” and “dental phobia” as synonyms but sometimes also as degrees of odontophobia.
Dentin hypersensitivity has been defined as the pain arising from exposed dentin, typically in response to chemical, thermal, tactile or osmotic stimuli that cannot be explained as arising from any other form of dental defect or pathology [13].
Some of the common reasons include: Fear of pain. Fear of pain is a very common reason for avoiding the dentist. This fear usually stems from an early dental experience that was unpleasant or painful or from dental "pain and horror" stories told by others.
How common are dentophobia and dental fear? About 36% of people in the U.S. have a fear of dental treatment, with 12% having an extreme fear. About 3% of adults in industrialized countries may have dentophobia and avoid going to the dentist at all. Fear of dentists is more common in females than in males.
So, there you go - dental anxiety is both genetic and learned.
Short, targeted therapies including cognitive behavioural therapy can be very successful, Dr Zaks says. "I have seen people get over their dental phobia. You can create counter-memories, even if people have had horrendous dental experiences or they are triggered. You don't forget, but it changes."
During routine dental examinations and cleanings, dentists can detect oral symptoms of stress, including orofacial pain, bruxism, temporomandibular disorders (TMJ), mouth sores and gum disease. If you're feeling tense or anxious, you should keep a watchful eye for signs of the following stress-related disorders.
Tell your dental team of your anxiety and your worst fears. Do tell them of any of the most painful experiences that you have ever heard with dental care providers. This helps them know how to care for you better and ensure that they take every precaution.
On occasion, if the patient is significantly anxious, anxiety medications may be prescribed for before and during the dental procedure. In this type of sedation, valium or Xanax are sometimes given the night before the procedure (such as the root canal procedure).
The most painful dental procedure is likely to be a root canal as it requires removing the nerve tissue from the tooth's pulp chamber. To mitigate the pain associated with this procedure, it is best to visit your dentist regularly and use preventive techniques such as brushing and flossing your teeth twice a day.
Patients who are anxious about visiting the dentist often avoid their cleaning appointments and exams, letting their oral health issues go untreated for long periods of time. As such, dental phobia can have a significant negative impact on oral health, often leading to tooth loss and the development of gum disease.
The dental practitioner's formulary i.e. the list of drugs a dentist can prescribe, includes Diazepam and other sedatives. Some dentists do prescribe these for their anxious patients.
Clenching and grinding can be accelerated by stress and is a common cause for tooth-aches and jaw disorders. The added pressure to your teeth when clenching can cause individual or multiple teeth to become “hyper-aware” to other stimuli like temperature, chewing, and brushing.
If you haven't been to the dentist for quite some time now, you're going to need professional dental cleaning. Since you haven't been to the dentist for several years, you will likely have plaque buildup around your teeth. This is perfectly normal and is not something to be embarrassed about.
Yes, a toothache caused by stress is possible. Stress and nerves can cause tension effects on the jaw, with stress often causing a person to grind their teeth. When you are clenching the jaw due to stress you can easily cause aches and pains, which is typically a result of wearing down the enamel.
Your dentist might apply fluoride to the sensitive areas of your teeth to strengthen tooth enamel and reduce pain. He or she might also suggest the use of prescription fluoride at home, applied via a custom tray. Desensitizing or bonding.
Tooth sensitivity can never completely go away, but there are treatments available that can help alleviate the sensitivity you experience. If you are experiencing any sensitivity, we recommend you make an appointment for an exam in our office. We can treat sensitivity easier if we know that is what is causing you pain.
For dental procedures of moderate length (1–2 hours), triazolam (Halcion), a short-acting benzodiazepine, in the dose of 0.125–0.5 mg, can be given 1 hour before the procedure. Triazolam is a popular choice among clinicians due to its anxiolytic, hypnotic, and amnesic effects, which are desirable in dental patients.
Your dentist may prescribe anti-anxiety drugs, such as diazepam (Valium), that you can take one hour before a scheduled dental visit. Your dentist may also recommend conscious sedation, such as nitrous oxide (or “laughing gas”), which can help calm nerves.