Don't Fear the Dentist
such as a root canal or wisdom tooth extraction -- have found that they anticipated much more discomfort than they actually experienced, Milgrom says.
The root canal in particular gets a "bad rap" because it is typically preceded by painful toothaches, Milgrom says. The procedure itself relieves this pain, often in just a single visit. Wisdom tooth extractions get a bad name because of occasional jaw pain experienced several days afterwards, which can be treated with pills.
Still, even if your mind tells you you'll be just fine, your body may still fear that dentist's chair. Here are a few tips that may help you overcome your fear of the dentist:
- Go to that first visit with someone you trust, such as a close relative who has no fear of dentists, Bynes suggests. Bynes even encourages friends and relatives to sit with the patient during treatment.
- Seek distraction while in the dentist's chair. Listen to your own music on headphones --"a new CD, not one you've heard a lot, so you'll be a little more interested in it," Milgrom suggests. Or find a dentist with a TV or other distractions available in the treatment room.
- Try relaxation techniques. Milgrom suggests controlled breathing -- taking a big breath, holding it, and letting it out very slowly, like you are a leaky tire. This will slow your heartbeat and relax your muscles. Another technique is progressive muscle relaxation, which involves tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in turn.
- Review with your dentist which sedatives are available or appropriate. Options include local anesthetic, nitrous oxide ("laughing gas"), oral sedatives, and intravenous sedation. While oversedation can be dangerous, too many dentists are uncomfortable using any oral sedation, Milgrom says. And only some dentists are qualified to perform IV sedation.
- If you can't bring yourself to go to any dentist, you might want to try seeing a psychologist first, says Ronald Kleinknecht, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Western Washington University and co-author of Treating Fearful Dental Patients. The most "tried and true approach" to treating dental phobia (and other phobias) is what Kleinknecht calls "direct therapeutic exposure." It involves introducing the patient to feared items -- say, a needle -- in a gradual and controlled manner.
As the pain from Gamba's back molar intensified, he found support online through a forum for people with dental fear. He also found a dentist, Fred Eck, DDS, of Bonita Springs, Fla., who advertises his skill with fearful patients. Before going, Gamba says, "I convinced myself that I wasn't going to have any procedure, that I was just going to talk with the dentist." But Eck put him so at ease that he agreed to the extraction of the back molar on the first visit. And it was painless, he says.
Comfortable with his new dentist, Gamba finally got some much-needed dental work done. He spoke to WebMD just an hour before an appointment to get his final wisdom tooth removed. "It's been miraculous," he says. "I've gained such strength, hope, and courage by getting through these experiences."
By Richard Sine
Reviewed by Louise Chang
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