Overcoming Dental Fear, Anxiety, or Phobia

It’s Halloween, which typically means all things spooky and eerie will come out of the woodwork to try and scare you. While the team at our dental office in Holland understands the creepiness behind ghosts, goblins, and zombies, there is one thing that many people fear all months out of the year that we’d like to help with: the dentist.

Reasons Behind Dental Fear

Before we can work to overcome a fear, we must first try to identify why the fear exists. Fear of the dentist is no different. Some of the most common reasons behind dental fear include fear of pain, embarrassment, losing control, or a negative past experience.

Overcoming Your Fear of the Dentist

Believe it or not, just by choosing to read this blog, you’ve taken a step towards overcoming your dental fear. The next steps may be a bit more difficult, but we know you can do it.

• Start by calling dental offices that are recommended to you by friends or family. Get a feel for the personality of the office over the phone, without ever stepping foot in the office.

• After you’ve spoken to all your prospective dental offices, schedule a new patient appointment at the one that made you feel the most comfortable.

• Bring a friend or family member with you to your appointment. Having a bit of trusted support can go a long way.

• Consider something to distract you such as an mp3 player with headphones.

• Most importantly, we encourage you to speak with your dentist in Holland about your fears to help ensure calm and comfortable dental visits.

You’re Not Alone

We understand that trying to explain your fear of the dentist to someone who doesn’t feel the same way can make you feel alone. But dental fear is much more common than you may think. In fact, dental phobia affects 5-8% of Americans, all of which avoid regular dental care because their fear is just so strong. But that’s not all. According to the Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington in Seattle nearly 20% of Americans will only see the dentist when it’s absolutely necessary, such as when there’s pain.

We Believe in You

Avoiding regular dental visits can allow serious oral health problems to sneak up on you, requiring more in-depth treatment. That’s why the team at our Holland dental office encourage all of our patients to maintain dental cleanings and checkups twice a year. But doing something that may scare you so deeply can be hard. That’s why we’re all dedicated to learning about you, your fears, and your dental goals so we can cater your treatment to you and keep you calm and relaxed throughout your entire visit.

If you’re looking for a dentist in Holland that understands your dental fear, will work with you to overcome and that fear, and will provide you with nothing but compassionate, gentle care at every single visit, we welcome you to give us a call to schedule an appointment. We’ll be honored to see you!

About The Author

Dr. Jeffrey Huisman

Dr. Jeffrey Huisman comes from a family of dentists. He had already been exposed to dentistry long before he graduated high school when he helped at his father's dental office. Eventually, he joined his father's practice. Dr. Huisman has trained with recognized practitioners and academics and regularly keeps up with the latest techniques and advancements in the dentistry field. He is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

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