What is Dental Phobia?

A few things to know to understand dental phobia: • The Facts on the Dental Phobia • Causes of the Unexplained Fear • Diagnosis of the Phobia 1. The Facts On The Phobia Dental phobia, by definition, is an unexplained fear of dentistry and of seeking dental care. It is also known as dentophobia or odontophobia. It can also be manifest in fear of anything related to dental care, even material objects. In mild forms, the affected person usually experiences anxiety and hesitation in facing dental treatment, but it is not as invasive as more severe forms of the phobia. In moderate forms, the phobia may cause panic attacks. In extreme cases, the fear may be paralyzing and can cause serious trauma. Aside from the short-term effects of the phobia, it can also have effects on a person’s entire life. People who suffer from dentophobia usually spend a lot of time thinking and stressing about their teeth and dental care. Some cases of the phobia can also be an effect or a related symptom of ...  more

Having a phobia of any sort means having an extreme fear that is directed toward one particular thing or situation. Experiencing dental phobia would mean having extreme fear and severe anxiety toward dentists and any kind of dentistry procedure. People suffer from dental phobia for many reasons. It can stem from having painful experiences in the past or it may simply develop after listening to someone else's horror story about their trip to the dentist. A person suffering from dental phobia may experience panic attacks by merely seeing an office sign along the road while he is driving. These same people may also be obsessive about cleanliness and personal hygiene inside their mouth. They may obsess about every little thing inside their mouth or they may avoid their mouth altogether and ignore any problem that may be going on. Bad experiences in a dentist's office can definitely cause dental phobia. An uncaring dentist may seem cold and controlling, focusing on his work rather than ...  more

Prevalence and Causes Dental phobia is the serious, often paralyzing fear of dental care and is not as uncommon as most people think. An estimated 9%-15% of all Americans avoid much needed care because of dental anxiety and fear. This means 30-40 million Americans are so afraid of dental treatment that they avoid it altogether. Avoiding the dentist because of fear can have serious ramifications in terms of your dental health and overall well-being. Today, with advanced treatment techniques and a dentist trained to help you overcome dental phobia, you can feel comfortable restoring your dental and oral health.  more