If the thought of the dentist makes you want to run away and hide, you most likely have dental anxiety or dental phobia. You might wonder why you fear the dentist so much, and wish you didn’t. To help you understand your fear, here are four common causes of dental anxiety:
- Fear of pain: If you haven’t seen a dentist in awhile, it’s most likely because you want to avoid dental pain. The fear of pain is the most common reason that adults 24 years and older avoid the dentist. This may be because their early dental visits happened before many of the advances in “pain-free” dentistry.
- Fear of loss of control: You might have a phobia about life situations in which you feel you have no control. When you are in the dental chair, you may feel you can’t see what’s going on or predict what the dentist might do. Since you might feel helpless and not in control, it may trigger anxiety.
- Fear of embarrassment: If you are embarrassed about your teeth problems, you won’t want anyone else to see them up close. Since your mouth is an intimate part of your body, you might fear someone else looking inside it and wondering what they think.
- Fear of past experiences: At one point in time, you may have had a rude or inexperienced dentist who caused you pain or embarrassment. This could make you assume that even if you go to a different dentist, you might feel the same pain again.
At Lakeway Center for Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, you never have to fear sitting in the dentist’s chair again because of our sedation dentistry services. They help you feel like you are slept through your dentist’s appointment. Contact us today and set-up your appointment to learn how our friendly, experienced dental team can help free you from dental anxiety.