Dentophobia treatment

Dentophobia treatment, Dentists have grown more conscious of the growing number of dentophobia patients and have begun to specialise in their unique demands. We have been providing particular treatment approaches for anxiety patients in our office for many years and have had success in over two thousand cases. This chapter goes through these tactics as well as other concepts in depth.

Patients who are afraid of dentists are identified.

The number of cases of undiagnosed dentophobia is thought to be quite large. Patients, understandably, do not want to be labelled as cowards because they are embarrassed or unable to disclose their own anxieties, even to themselves.

As a result, the dentist is faced with the difficult challenge of identifying these patients early on, ideally during their first examination.

Here are some pointers on how to spot patients who are afraid of dentists:

Questionnaire: The registration form, which all new patients must complete, includes not only health-related information, but also additional specialised questions. For example, whether or not there is a fear of dentists.
Patient dialogue: With just a few questions, a skilled dentist can typically determine whether a new patient has an anxiety problem at the initial consultation.
Behaviour during treatment: No matter how thorough the screening, there will always be a patient in the dentist’s chair who will later admit that he or she has an anxiety disorder. In some circumstances, the phobia manifests slowly and thus goes unnoticed for a long time – even by the sufferer. However, there are a few red flags that a skilled dentist would not overlook. It all begins with the patient’s position in the dentist’s chair, posture, and possibly hand and foot movements. Exaggerated gagging, vomiting, or swallowing reflexes, as well as the patient’s request for repeated rinsing – to interrupt the treatment – might all be signs.

Strong perspiration on the forehead is also an indication that the patient is not feeling well. It’s critical to spot these signs early on so that the anxiety patient can get the help he or she needs.

Anxiety patients’ psychological treatment

If treating a phobia – in this example, dental phobia / dentophobia – is all that is required, a psychologist, psychotherapist, or psychiatrist should be consulted first. There are a variety of treatment options available, ranging from psychoanalysis to confrontational therapy to cognitive therapy. Anti-anxiety medicine can be used therapeutically in some instances.

These treatments have a high success rate, according to experienced therapists. Treatment plans in our dental office, on the other hand, are understandably less oriented on solely psychological methods. However, if you have a particularly severe case of dental fear, you should get help from a professional psychologist.

Dentophobia treatment for people who are afraid of dentists

We strive to achieve two goals while treating patients with dental phobia:

The most painless and stress-free technique to complete the essential dental restoration therapy.
To permanently eradicate the patient’s phobia of going to the dentist.

Dentophobia treatment Strategy

We strive to achieve two goals while treating patients with dental phobia:

Trust is built by providing a low-stimulus environment.
Assuring a stress-free, gentle therapy.
Discussions that are “interactive”

Develop a sense of trust

Many dental phobia patients say they’ve been traumatised in the past by a dentist they trusted betraying them. This incident could have happened many years ago, for example, when a school dentist was rude or cruel. Furthermore, a dentist’s easy promise that “for sure it won’t hurt” is later broken can easily damage patient confidence and be distressing for the patient.

This demonstrates that dental treatment for anxious individuals can only be successful if the patient has complete faith in his or her dentist. The nervous patient expects not only flawless dental work, but also clear and reliable information about the approaching procedure, as well as care, patience, and empathy for his anxieties.

In a bustling daily practise environment, these responsibilities can be a tremendous strain for a stressed dentist. In addition to patience and psychological training, a high level of empathy is required to comprehend the patient’s worries and ultimately gain his trust.

Read also: Feel anxious visiting a dentist?