Up to 50% of adults suffer some anxiety about the dentist
BUT 1 in 6 Australian adults
have high dental fear.
These are huge numbers.
So many people suffer from anxiety about a trip to the dentist
and I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way.
I'm Dr. Grant and welcome to Episode #2 of
So you're sitting there in the waiting room.
Sweating a little.
Your name is called and your heart begins to race.
You're ushered into the dental chair
and you see the tray of instruments.
How are you feeling?
If you're feeling a bit anxious just listening to that then keep watching
because today we're going to talk about
Dental anxiety is a term used to describe fear, anxiety or stress in a dental setting.
And it can be associated with certain triggers like
injections, drills or even just the smell of a dental practice.
And I see patients dealing with this literally every day.
When dental anxiety is severe, causing extreme fear
and complete avoidance of going to the dentist,
it can be classified as dental phobia.
Like any phobia, the fear is out of proportion to the stimulus.
Say you're scared of spiders, and you see a tiny, non-venomous spider
in the corner of the room and jump out of your skin,
your reaction is disproportionate to the danger that is present.
In that case, it's not really a problem is it?
You may be an inconvenience to your spouse or friend who has to
then go and deal with the spider,
but, in the end, life goes on as per usual.
People who suffer from dental anxiety and fear tend to avoid going to the dentist,
putting off necessary care, leading to
The list stacks up.
Ultimately, long term avoidance of the dentist will affect both
your physical health, and your mental health.
It's a never ending vicious cycle.
The most obvious benefit to tackling this fear is improved oral health.
With good oral health you can eat properly, chew the foods that you love and continue
to enjoy your food well into old age.
You can talk properly and smile confidently.
No more living in constant fear of
not knowing when that toothache will strike again
whether it'll affect your job,
sleep and mood.
Call me biased,
but I think those are pretty great things to have.
Now imagine, not only do you have good oral health,
but that you've removed this fear from your life.
Imagine the weight that would be lifted from your shoulders
That HAS GOT to be worth something.
I understand change is hard.
And all of this takes a lot of effort and time.
Which is why the motivation has to come from you,
from in here.
Do it because you want to do it.
Not because I told you to.
This question is a big one and I'm here to tell you, there is hope.
In our next episode, we'll discuss techniques for you to use
as well as techniques that
your dentist can use to help you.
But for this episode, we are going to focus on the first steps to take.
Now that we've established that you want to face your fear
and you want better oral health, what's next?
Here's my ideal scenario.
and bring them along for emotional support.
If that dentist seems like an ideal fit for you, then you're halfway there.
A patient of mine did this recently and brought her friend, my patient, along with her.
It was great because the patient was able to feel support and already had a level of
trust in us at Method Dental.
Let's say this is not available.
What do you do?
Well, what I don't recommend, is picking any random dentist.
Picking any random dentist may not result in a good outcome for you in your quest to
overcome your dental fear.
Picking a random dentist is a bit like closing your eyes,
reaching into a big box of Cadbury Favourites,
hoping to pick out your favourite chocolate,
but getting a Turkish Delight instead.
Icckkk!
(I actuallly love Turkish Delights)
Research your choice for a dentist.
Look at their website or social media and when you call,
talk to the receptionist about the dentist.
Are they answering your questions?
Are they helpful?
You should expect that everyone in the practice
will want to help you to with your dental anxiety.
Now, this where it gets hard.
Turn up.
Turn up to your appointment.
And when you're in the waiting room and feeling nervous and shaky, it's ok.
Those are all responses you should expect at this stage.
Don't beat yourself up about it.
Over time, you and the dental team, will be able work through these issues
together and come out the other side.
Focus on that.
In the next episode, I'm going to talk you through some techniques
that you can use to stay calm during your appointment
and what techniques the dentist can use to help through it.
After watching these two episodes of [prevent]
I hope that you will be armed with the knowledge and motivation
to overcome your fear,
we help people to do that every day.
Thanks for watching and if you've found this episode helpful in any way,
please like and share it because
the more people we can reach, the more teeth we can save.