Dental Anxiety and Dentophobia: How They Differ and What Helps
If the thought of a dental appointment tightens your chest, you already know it is not the kind of feeling you can talk yourself out of on the drive over. This article is about the fear itself rather than the appointment: what separates dental anxiety from a phobia of the dentist, how widely the fear is shared, where it can come from, and what can help.
Dental anxiety and dentophobia are not the same thing
Dentophobia is a fear of the dentist: people with this specific phobia feel anxious when they think about going to the dentist or actually visit. That is different from dental anxiety. People with dental anxiety worry a lot about pain or stress at the dentist, but will likely still see their dentist for treatment, unlike people with dentophobia, who avoid seeing the dentist even when they are in pain (Cleveland Clinic).
How common is fear of the dentist?
This is not a rare way to feel: about 36% of people in the U.S. have a fear of dental treatment, with 12% having an extreme fear (Cleveland Clinic).
Where it can come from, and what can help
Past negative experiences, family history or feeling a loss of control can lead to dentophobia. Exposure therapy, guided imagery and relaxation techniques can help (Cleveland Clinic).
What putting it off can lead to
The more you delay — or just don't go — to the dentist, the higher your risk of developing dental problems that will make future dental visits more difficult (American Dental Association (MouthHealthy)).
Where to go from here
Reading about a fear is not the same as getting past it. If what you want next is practical rather than explanatory, a companion article covers ways to make a dental visit easier, and another explains what sedation dentistry is.
Our office is at 147 Main St, 2nd Floor, Lodi, NJ 07644, and Dr. Steven Liao is our dentist. When you are ready to arrange a first visit, start on our first-visit page.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic. "Dentophobia (Fear of Dentists)." Updated 2022-03-31. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22594-dentophobia-fear-of-dentists
- American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). "Anxiety." https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/anxiety
