Causes of Dental Phobia
A number of factors go into the maintenance of a strong, beautiful smile, but none are more important than professional dental care. Unfortunately, many people neglect the dental services that can ensure a healthy smile, because they suffer from severe dental anxiety. Dental phobia causes stress and fear regarding dental treatments. Some patients suffer from mild anxiety that can be controlled through meditation or deep breathing. However, others experience debilitating fear at the thought of even a routine dental cleaning. The experienced dentists at Bell Dental can help manage the most common causes of dental phobia for our Lake Jackson, TX, patients so that they can undergo vital dental treatments with comfort and ease.
Past Dental Experience
The most common cause of dental phobia is a negative dental experience in the past. If a person goes to the dentist and receives poor treatment, or has a bad reaction to dental care, they are more likely to feel stress and anxiety the next time it comes to schedule a dental appointment. Dental phobia is an especially common reaction when a negative dental experience occurs while a person is a child. This can lead to a lifelong fear of the dentist. Following are some dental experiences that are most likely to cause dental phobia:
- Pain: If a patient is not properly anesthetized they may suffer from unnecessary pain during their dental appointment. Anyone who experiences significant pain while undergoing dental treatment is likely to develop a phobia of the dentist.
- Roughness: Dental patients should feel like their safety and comfort is the top priority of their dentist. If the dentist treats the patient roughly and seems to disregard their sense of comfort, the patient is likely to be anxious about undergoing any more dental treatments.
- Loss of control: A patient gives up a lot of control when they are receiving dental care. For some people, this loss of control can cause extreme stress and anxiety, which can lead to a dental phobia.
The safety and comfort of our patients is a top priority at Bell Dental. We strive to give patients a positive dental experience that will create a new and improved relationship with the dentist. If necessary, we can help patients explore sedation dentistry options to make dental care more comfortable.
Poor Oral Health
Patients who have neglected at-home oral hygiene habits or routine preventative dentistry treatments will probably have poor oral health. These patients can benefit the most from restorative dentistry treatments to address dental complications. Unfortunately, poor oral health or a neglect of dental care is a common cause of dental phobia. When a person knows they will need extensive dental care to restore the strength of the smile, they may be afraid to schedule a dental exam. Many patients who suffer from poor oral health also fear that they will be judged or reprimanded by the dentist for letting their smile get to the state it is in. At Bell Dental, we treat all patients with respect and care. We strive to make every patient feel safe, respected, and cared for when undergoing dental care at our office.
Contact Us
If you have avoided professional dental care because you suffer from dental anxiety, the experienced team of dentists at Bell Dental can help. Contact us at your earliest convenience to learn how our dentists can help you manage the most common causes of dental phobia.