going to the dentist is for many an ordeal. Therefore, when they have to attend for a reason that is not an emergency, they tend to stretch as much as possible when sitting in the dentist’s chair.

There are many people who suffer from this type of fear, which oscillates between anxiety, fear or direct phobia. Something natural and inevitableaccording to experts, since it is a vital area, like the head, and with a lot hypersensitivityWhat are their teeth like?

“These are delicate procedures in a very sensitive area. And if we don’t treat this fear, the person may learn that going to the dentist is a unpleasant experience and there is a natural tendency to avoid it, ”describes Rubén Nieto, professor of health sciences at the Open University of Catalonia (UOC).

Between 15 and 25% of patients are really afraid, according to some statistics. These are people who find it hard to ask for an appointment, who cancel it when they have it and, somehow, leave. postponement of processing.

“A bad solution because a small problem can get complicated and it will be even more annoying to go to the dentist than if you went to him initially. There will be more pain and discomfort, “Nieto points out.

“It’s a feedback wheeland the experience can be more traumatic, ”says dentist Gemma Pons.

When these frightened patients finally manage to sit on the sofa they are very easy to identify. “They sweat, they are verbiage – they talk a lot to do nothing and avoid opening their mouths – they ask to get up or go to the bathroom …”, adds the doctor.

And in severe cases they can suffer from rapid heartbeat, paleness, cold sweats or hyperventilation. When you put anesthesia there is also some who pass out. “Anesthesia often contains adrenaline, and when combined with the natural adrenaline that the patient releases due to alertness, the blood pressure rises and the body reacts with a drop in blood pressure to compensate,” Pons explains.

In general, fear sufferers tend to delay visiting the dentist in a year and a half and a year. On many occasions, the pain threshold is what determines whether the visit to the dentist will be sooner or later. “When they suffer, they come. But it can take 15 to 20 days to decide, because they prefer to take the medications first to see if they go away. They choose this option before finding another more definitive solution ”, complains the specialist.

In some countries, such as the United States, 5% of the population actually has a phobia of going to the dentist. A psychiatric disorder that totally conditions the daily life of the affected person, who just thinking about this word puts him in a state of alert. “Patients with a phobia have a very sinister mouth,” points out this doctor.

a good dentist

Faced with the patient’s fear, the practitioner can do a lot on his part. You have to earn their trust. Better if he is empathetic. It is good that you explain yourself well the procedure that will be performed, as this will help the affected person mitigate their moods and make it easier for them to feel that they have a little more control in the face of that dreaded situation.

Signals can also be established between the two. The patient may advise them to stop the procedure whenever possible by raising his hand when he is tired of keeping his mouth open or feels some kind of discomfort. This will also reassure the patient.

If, moreover, the same dentist knows the details of the patient and knows about him aspects that are not strictly dental but more of a personal nature, this also facilitates a closeness between the two and in some way during the time he has to sit. will be more distracted and not so aware of dental treatment.

There are people who take comfort in having a hand by their side. “There are those who ask you. Shaking hands with children when applying anesthesia calms them a lot. A task that is basically done by the assistant, someone who is not only there to help the dentist but also the patient, ”explains Pons.

deal with the situation immediately

If the patient still has doubts about whether or not to go to the dentist, it is best that they do so face the situation. “If a person has, for example, the fear of spiders, to overcome it he can expose himself to the stimulus that causes said fear. And in the end, with the dentist, there is no other choice but to face it”, says Nieto.

And for those who require more conviction, it can be helpful to reflect these guidelines:

1. Evaluate the pros and cons: Evaluate how much you earn if you go to the dentist and the possible losses if you ultimately decide not to go. “If you have a toothache, it’s definitely better to go to the dentist to fix it than to be with that pain,” Nieto points out.

2. Relaxation and breathing: Applying relaxation when there is fear helps to mitigate it, and distraction techniques can help too. There are many ways people can relax and it can be helpful to find out before going for a consultation. Breathing deeply and slowly, letting the air reach the abdominal area and noticing the whole process is one of the useful tools that can help us calm down.

3. Use distraction techniques: To reduce the discomfort or pain that certain medical situations can cause, one option is to get distracted, that is, to focus on other things. “Your attention will focus on what you are distracting from and there will be less attention available for the discomfort and, after all, you will feel it less intensely,” Nieto points out.

It also works to imagine a pleasant situation during the dental procedure.

4. A gradual intervention: The first visit to the dentist doesn’t necessarily have to mean getting an implant, for example. “You can do different approaches: first a more exploratory visit, then establish a guideline of what will be done … Something more gradual and, above all, trust the professional,” says Nieto.

5. Complementary treatments: In some clinics, complementary treatments to purely dental treatments are used with patients who are afraid or anxious. They use medications such as anxiolytics or even conscious sedation. In other cases, hypnosis is practiced. Specifically, at the Pons Clinic, they use essential oils and Bach Flowers to act on the nervous system and to calm patients and reduce anxiety.

6. Leave the children alone: Specialists warn that many parents inadvertently pass on this fear of the dentist to their child. “If the parents are not present during the consultation, you can win over the child more easily, because the children perceive the concern of the elderly and this puts them even more alert,” Pons points out.

Good oral hygiene is essential for overall good health

And if you still don’t have the courage to leave your fears behind, you should know that maintaining good oral health has many other benefits besides maintaining your teeth. Good oral health leads to better overall health.

“Any infection in the mouth can end up in the bloodstream. They are bacteria in the blood that affect other pathologies. In diabetic patients, for example, if the mouth is not healthy, the sugar levels are more easily decompensated; or a mouth infection can aggravate heart problems and can cause inflammation or infection of this organ, ”explains Pons.

In addition, the teeth and mouth affect many processes in the body.

Source: The avant-garde