The important thing is to establish a sincere friendship relationship with your dentist. Thus there is confidence in the treatment and increases the desire to be in the office. True friendship always inspires confidence and gives security.

Francisco Sávio Gomes Pereira Appreciate your interest and prompt response. I agree with you that there has to be a good rapport between the patient and the dentist, to begin with. Many thanks for your input to the discussion.

Frankly speaking I have never visited to any dentist in my life so far.

My problem lies in needles. I cannot abide one near me so dentists are not my favourite profession. I cannot understand why nothing else has yet been invented to apply anaesthesia, especially into such vulnerable areas such as the mouth.

Being trained in psychology, are dentists also trained in psychology as Francisco feels or knows? I find them patronising, and that they make claims for and on psychology they cannot sustain. Speaking softly is not the extent of psychology.

Pablo Picasso had the same feeling: he avoided dentists and hairdressers.

_____________________________________

The most painful is the bill.

Say some prayers before going.

Yes. I visit only in extreme urgency

Yes, I do..

Plus I recommend Dr.Stephen post.

There are creative dentists in their work that you feel completely safe in their hands, so we must search for this type of doctor.

Never anxiety: there is a relationship of trust.

Not really, but you have to do it now better than later.

I always try to remain calm and composed

Chinaza Godswill Awuchi Amar Bencherik Gioacchino de Candia Aparna Sathya Murthy Emad Kamil Hussein Ali mohamed rashed

Thank you so much, esteemed members, for your interest and valuable contributions.. I appreciate your overwhelming responses. Definitely visiting a dentist is an apprehensive experience for many and I agree that psychological counseling doesn't help always if the patient is emotionally weak or has some innate /acquired phobias. But even then I would suggest and advise you to visit your dentist at least once in 6 months or annually before you have an emergency and have to rush. Dentistry is not always about "the needles"

many regards to all..

It is natural to experience anxiety. It is possible to overcome some of these fears during the procedures by doing visualization exercises in your mind and/or listening to calming music on your headphones.

Stephen I. Ternyik I appreciate your beautifully illustrated response. So many things go in a dentist's mind at a time in the dental operatory!!. Unbelievable!! But trust me, preventive dental health is not expensive, so do visit your dentist for a consultation before it is too late.

many thanks for your contribution and for giving us useful feedback.

regards

amina

Dental work on teeth in need of treatment is rarely done without pain (general anesthesia is not an adequate measure to eliminate pain, be it that additional risks occur or undesirable after-effects may occur. There is also anxiety training for particularly anxious or very pain-sensitive persons. Normally, however, one can choose to have a local anaesthetic with about 2 injections or to be prepared to bear the pain of the treatment without local anaesthetic. Like most patients, I have chosen an anaesthetic injection for repair work. For very large operations in the jaw area one would need an additional anaesthetist for general anaesthesia.

Srini Vasan I agree with you and favour your response. Music is soothing.. We pediatric dentist call it white noise therapy..

Appreciate your interest and contribution.

regards

no really :) Amina Sultan cause he is my brother and this make it easier ..

No ,at all just pick up a good doctor and a place known for its high standard of infection control and hyagien

Amina Sultan I am with you, concerning preventive dental health!

Your tolerance for the joke is highly appreciated.

Wishing you success for your important work for human health.

Esraa Ghazy you are lucky.. but even then all dentists try to allay the patient's anxiety at all costs!!. I deal with kids ( with anxious and indulgent parents along ) There is a pedodontic triangle! It is tough for the dentist too.

appreciate your interest dear.

amina

Stephen I. Ternyik Sir I appreciate your sense of humor for that matter. There are many other things going in a dentist's mind besides shown in the illustration which the great Pablo Picasso might have missed.!!!!!

Many many thanks for your kind wishes and acknowledgments.. much regards

Amina

Hein Retter Noor Fareed many thanks to you for your participation and for sharing your feedback. Very much appreciated.

Regards

Well, honestly, I don't have anxiety ever while meeting a dentist. In fact, I never visited any dentist before one year. Since last 10-12 months I have to do that as I am undergoing a special treatment for my teeth. Fortunately my dentist is very good, gentle and honestly doing and explaining his work every time I meet him.

Well, honestly, I don't have anxiety ever while meeting a dentist. In fact, I never visited any dentist before one year. Since last 10-12 months I have to do that as I am undergoing a special treatment for my teeth. Fortunately my dentist is very good, gentle and honestly doing and explaining his work every time I meet him.

Aparna Sathya Murthy maám .. Ice cream and sweets are best positive reinforcement!! I hope you are privileged to enjoy these now too.

regards

Ali mohamed rashed

many thanks and regards

Neither of these choices.

No anxiety. My dentist's office is run on best-practices model. There are no painful cleanings that I used to experience 10 years ago at a different dentist's office in Washington DC area.

Some people prefer to take home palliative care or measures.

If I trust the dentist's professionalism - the level of anxiety is rather moderate. Otherwise, I worry a lot.

Honestly as I have been working with Concentrated acids and heavy metals in the laboratories with lack of facilities , I should visit every 6 months the dentists and really get a bit nervous just thinking :

not sure what the dentist will find

and of course agree with dear Prof Stephan Ternyik: The BILL!!!!!!

many times i visited the dentist , i hope the science is getting improve in the scientific researches in the dental medicine.

Wefak Jbori Albazi Parisa Ziarati Len Leonid Mizrah Chinaza Godswill Awuchi Gulzar Shah Stefan Bernhard Rüster Carine Temegne Nono Amit Baran Sharangi I appreciate your interest and participation in this discussion. Your feedback and inputs have made this interactive quite engaging and reciprocative.

many thanks to you all!!

Much regards

Thank you, friends, for the support and recommendations. I am a pediatric dentist working in a premium Government dental set up and I feel people usually neglect their dental health and avoid going to a dental check-up until there is a dire need. They even pass on their fears to their children. But I feel going to a dentist at least once in a year will save you from all the agonies and expenses. Mind it "treatment is not expensive, but negligence is"

My dear Parisa Ziarati -Hope you visit your dentist soon!!.No worries about the bills any more my friend.

Amina

G Srinivasarao

Dear Amina Sultan

Certainly everyone feels anxious when visiting a dentist

But if the periodic visit is less anxiety, while in the case of an emergency visit, the anxiety is great

Anxiety also depends on the patient's confidence in the doctor. The higher the confidence in the dentist, the less anxiety

Best regards

The comments here are quite interesting and expository

In fact, when I was young, I was very worried about the dentist, after I became a doctor, visiting a dentist became routine and there was never anything to worry about.

I do in most of the visits

Jasim Hassen

thanks

dental anxiety is common..share your fears..it helps

I think that most people feel anxious when visiting dentists. It is quite natural and understandable. However, we can cope with the feeling by reminding ourselves that the treatment is going to benefit us considerably.

@Reza Biria

Quite a reasonable approach. I appreciate your kind interest. Regards

Anxiety affects everyone because they all do not know what the dentist knows

Balqees Al-Musawi

Zainab Nizar Jawad

Rawaa Gabbar

regards

yes I do

Yes, some periods, I feel anxious and upset when visiting a doctor’s office, and I overcome it with tolerance and patience.

Anxiety of dental treatment is associated with the fact that dental treatment is a rather traumatic type of treatment associated with numerous inconveniences. The cause of dental diseases is unknown and incomprehensible to those who treat and for those who receive treatment. Symptomatic treatment is carried out in conditions of incomprehension of the causes of dental diseases. The period before the occurrence of periodontitis and caries is hidden and incomprehensible. Treatment gives unpredictable results with a tendency to further deteriorate the condition of the teeth. After treatment, chewing function worsens. In addition, the physiology of the problem of dental diseases itself makes a great contribution to anxiety. This mixture of severe factors creates this fear of dental treatment. Because of the impasse in which somatology is located, the mainstream of dentistry is the surgical restoration of the dentition. Effective prevention of dental diseases is impossible because the dental community does not know the real causes of dental diseases. The only way out of this trap will provide an understanding of the real causes of dental diseases and the application of this understanding in practice.

A good way to cope would be to bring someone you trust or an item that makes you feel safe when holding.

Chuck A Arize Dear sir, appreciate your response and sharing of a useful tip for many. I come across many pediatric patients coming to the clinics with their favourite toys and dolls..with the intention of getting them treated as well.😃Maybe these props help in reducing the anxiety in some.

Vasil Grigoriev Sir I appreciate your elaborate explanation. Dental treatment can not be so distressing if you visit your dentist on time and get yourself regularly checked up. Some inconvenience can occur but that should be bearable. There are options of sedation and anaesthesia available if anxiety is acute and unmanageable. Thanks for your support.

much regards

Omar Ali Al-Khashman I appreciate your response to the discussion and way of coping your dental anxiety. much regards

Alan Saleem .. thanks for sharing your fear. But don't neglect your dental visits.

Best wishes.

Yes, I remember God so much

I relax - think of positive things. What also assists is to recall 'difficult' procedures that I have endured (self-efficacy). A couple of these have been over an hour. That makes the visit more positive because I rationalize that the dentist is helping me (it is a necessity) and no matter how invasive the procedure is - I have managed worse.

yes, somewhat; no

Preoccupation with the mobile or reading a magazine inside the clinic

actually i feel good when i visit the dentist

yes I occasionally feel anxious and worry cause I have MVP

and tooth problems may cause complications if not treated and managed properly.

The derivative of my mood is getting more and more negative as the distance to a dentist office gets diminishing. ;-))

yes -i feel phobia on his chair and opening mouth--- feel i will not be able to breath properly.

It depends on you and a dentist, appearance of clinic is important when you medical related i.e. microbiologist you will pay attention to every aspect i.e. he sterilized the instruments, he didn't, skilful sometimes the appearance of dentist is important like clothes, ....etc

i've been traumatized by low-speed drills and too-close contact with a dentist whose very hairy nostrils, cigarette- cognac- and garlic-breath were not mitigated by a face mask. i only go to a recommended dentist who supplies earphones and music or tv. (one of the privileges of living in north america tho how it will be once the pandemic is over no one knows. maybe we'll be back to strings and doorknobs)

I usually feel dental anxiety associated with needles and I always mentally prepare myself for all kinds circumstances which help me in reducing this anxiety.

Me too like Syed Asadullah Arslan

I think it is very natural. Whenever you visit a dentist always you should remember that what problems you are going to face in future about teeth that will be cured or minimized by dentist in present situation...it is actually self talk. Take care.

Treatment is effective when the cause of the disease is eliminated and the patient subsequently uses effective preventive measures that prevent the onset of symptoms of the disease again. In the case of modern dental treatment, the symptoms of the disease are eliminated. The cause of the disease is not eliminated. Effective prevention is not carried out. A limited warranty with a short warranty period is given for completed treatment. The patient's understanding of the lack of a reliable guarantee of the treatment and creates a patient anxiety before treatment. The patient will not be worried if treatment or prophylaxis ensures an almost complete restoration of the functional capabilities of the teeth for any long period (not 1-2 years, but 10-20 years). The patient will not be worried if the proposed prophylaxis will in practice (and not theoretically) ensure the absence of symptoms of the disease for a long period. Demonstration to the patient of a technique that has a confirmed positive result with any period of action will allow the patient to alleviate anxiety. The presence of prevention methods that 100% ensure the absence of disease symptoms for any period is the basis for the patient’s lack of anxiety. The dentist can convince the patient that there is no need to worry. But until the patient is convinced that the applied method of treatment is long-term, is not associated with suffering, fully restores functionality, there is 100% prevention - the patient will always be anxious.

I like going to the dentist. I am not phobic because of this. I go to the dentist regularly to avoid serious caries and the resulting problems. I visit my dentist regularly as part of periodic checkups, appropriate preventive treatments and possible treatment.

Best regards,

Dariusz Prokopowicz

Dear Prof.Amina Sultan,

For coping anxiety, I think that we have some ways without drugs:

-Boost seretonin hormone by some food:

https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sleep/foods-that-could-boost-your-serotonin#pineapples

-Use Natural Beta Blockers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWuBgErRl6Q

-Active parasympathetic nervous system by choline:

https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-choline#1

Try reading magazines

Anxiety associated with dental visits can stem from a fear of pain, fear of drills, or the possibility of embarrassment over poor dental hygiene. This nervousness, however, is completely normal! Studies have stated that 36% of the population suffers from a fear of dentists or dental anxiety.

Man is born without teeth, without hair and without illusions, and so he dies, without hair, without teeth and without illusions.

—  Alexandre Dumas, 1802-1870, French writer

What is this word that broke through the fence of your teeth?

Ποίον σε έπος φύγεν έρκος οδόντων;

—  Homer, c. 800-750 BC, Ancient Greek Poet ‐ Iliad IV

The wolf with his teeth, the bull with his horns.

Lupus dentis, taurus cornis.

Americans may have no identity, but they do have wonderful teeth.

—  Jean Baudrillard, 1929-2007, French intellectual

There are people who laugh to show their fine teeth; and there are those who cry to show their good hearts.

—  Joseph Roux, 1834-1905, French clergyman & poet

If you're fearful or feeling anxious about visiting your dentist you could: speak to your dentist and explain your feelings, you can then work together to make your visit as relaxed as possible. pro-active breathing and relaxation techniques, these can help to calm your nerves and distract you from any procedures.

https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/dental-health/visiting-the-dentist/coping-with-a-fear-of-the-dentist