Please briefly describe the emotions that the thought of a dental procedure arouses in you
Answers
Being afraid of the dentist means different things to different people. For some people, it’s the thought that treatment will hurt, or
that the sounds and smells bring back bad memories as a child.
Sadly, the fear of going to the dentist is not uncommon, and in the most severe cases can result in people avoiding dental treatment altogether. One in three of us suffer from moderate dental anxiety and roughly one in eight suffer from dental anxiety, known as dental phobia.
Causes of Dental Anxiety and Phobia
People develop dental anxieties and phobias for many different reasons:
Pain– This is most common in adults 24 years and older, often because their early dental visits happened before many of the advances in “pain-free” dentistry.
Feelings of helplessness and loss of control– many people develop phobias about situations — such as flying in an airplane — in which they feel they have no control. When they’re in the dental chair, they have to stay still. People feel anxious because they can’t see what’s going on or predict what’s going to hurt. It’s common for people to feel helpless and out of control. This can trigger anxiety.
Embarrassment– Some people feel self-conscious about the way their teeth look. Dental treatments also require physical closeness. During a treatment, the hygienist’s or dentist’s face may be just a few inches away. People can feel ashamed or embarrassed to have a stranger looking inside their mouth. This can make people anxious and uncomfortable.
Negative past experiences– Anyone who has had pain or discomfort during previous dental procedures is likely to be more anxious the next time around
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Life can sometimes be an emotional roller coaster.
Some days you’re up and some days you’re down. But I was shocked to discover that the emotions you feel and the thoughts you think can have a direct impact on your physical health.
According to Dr. Susanne Babbel, a psychologist specializing in trauma and depression writes in Psychology Today, “Studies have shown that chronic pain might not only be caused by physical injury but also by stress and emotional issues.”
She goes on, “Often, physical pain functions to warn a person that there is still emotional work to be done.”
I have never stopped to think that maybe my sore back might be the result of something going on elsewhere in my life.
It’s pretty great to know that I might actually have some control over my pain levels. Dr. Murray Grossan of the Grossan Institute writes, “The first thing about healing an illness is to stop the stress and anxiety chemicals that impair normal healing.”