![]() ![]() Anesthetic: People usually aren’t fearful of getting an anesthetic (numbing drug), but instead, fear the anesthetic not working.Someone with dentophobia may be afraid of: What does a person with dentophobia fear? Some studies suggest that nearly 3% of men and almost 5% of women have dentophobia. About 3% of adults in industrialized countries may have dentophobia and avoid going to the dentist at all.įear of dentists is more common in females than in males. have a fear of dental treatment, with 12% having an extreme fear. ![]() How common are dentophobia and dental fear?Ībout 36% of people in the U.S. People with dental anxiety worry a lot about pain or stress at the dentist, but will likely still see their dentist for treatment, unlike those with dentophobia. Severe fear of dental treatment involves feelings of distress, but these feelings aren’t as extreme as dentophobia. These problems may affect a person’s relationships or job prospects, too. This condition is so severe that it can lead to very poor dental health. People with dentophobia avoid seeing the dentist even when they’re in pain. What is the difference between dentophobia (fear of dentists) and severe fear of dental treatment?ĭentophobia is an extreme fear that’s out of proportion to the situation. A specific situation (going to the dentist) leads to a fearful response. They lead to excessive fear of an event or situation that isn’t actually harmful.ĭentophobia is a type of specific phobia disorder. Someone with dentophobia may have extreme anxiety at the thought of going to the dentist or while in the dentist’s office. Flossing one week before your appointment with the hygienist isn’t going to prevent gum disease, tooth decay, and gum recession - but keeping up with that “anthill” and flossing daily, will.People with dentophobia, also called odontophobia, have a fear of dentists. You can kick the anthill to destroy it, but each day, the ants come back and build a new one. You can think of flossing like kicking over an anthill each day. This can be a much better way to break into the habit of flossing daily. When you floss once, you get the sensation of the separation of the teeth, stimulation of the gums - it’s a distinct feeling, almost like a massage. What ends up happening is they floss once, and a few days later, begin to crave the feeling again. What I tell my patients is, floss once a week. It’s easy to get frustrated when trying to get in the habit of flossing, especially since so much coordination is involved with it. This can be too much of a jump and too much to expect right off the bat. Don’t do what the hygienist tells you, which is to floss every day. They turn flossing into a one-handed operation and are awesome for multi-taskers - you can flip through your phone with one hand while flossing with the other. Invest in a flossing stick, which is basically like the handle of a toothbrush, but with floss on the top.We might not think of flossing late at night before bed because we’re tired, but the thought (or craving) could hit you during the day. Keep one in your desk drawer at work, your gym bag, in the car, in your laptop bag, and your travel toiletry case. The samples of floss you get from the dentist are great for this. Every time you see that Post-it, you’ll know deep down that means to floss. Don’t write things like “floss” on it - that sounds too authoritarian and disciplinary. I tell my patients to take a blank Post-it and stick it on your mirror. For children, a sticker for every day on a flossing calendar in the bathroom is a great way to cement the habit. Start with giving yourself a simple and obvious cue (you might decide to floss every night before bed) and a clearly defined reward, like a favorite flavor of floss. ![]()
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