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According to the Dental Anxiety & Phobia Association (DAPA), 58% of the people in the UK feel 'anxious about
going to the dentist'. Therefore, dentists understand that many people fear going to the dentist and are sympathetic to their patients'
anxieties.
A major step to overcoming your concerns, is to identify what it is that makes you anxious and explain this to your practice. You may
not have been to a dentist for a while due to your fear, so you could contact a number of practices and ask what help they could provide
you in overcoming your fears.
You could also ask someone to go to the dentist with you to offer their support and reassurance. Once you are in the dental surgery,
ask the dentist to explain what treatment they are proposing to do and to clarify anything that you are not happy about, in order to put
your mind at ease.
There are many ways that dentists can help you to overcome your fears, but firstly you must ensure that you tell
them about your anxieties, so that they can understand your concerns. As well as listening to your fears, there are other methods that some
dentists use to relax their patients, such as breathing techniques, hypnosis and mild sedation. It is best to talk to your dentist to
identify which method is most appropriate for you and to inform them if you are taking any medication.
There are a number of organisations that may be able help with your fear of the dentist:
British Dental Health Foundation,
Eastlands Court
St Peter's Road
Rugby
Warwickshire
CV21 3QP
Tel no. 0870 333 11 88
E-mail: www.dentalhealth.org.uk
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Dental Anxiety and Phobia Association
42 Harley Street
London
W1N 1AB
Tel no. 0171 580 0011
E-mail: www.healthy.com
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The Phobic Society
407 Wilbraham Road
Chorlton
Manchester
M21 1UT
Tel no. 0161 881 1937
E-mail: www.healthy.com
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Overcoming Anxiety