Ask for Help

There may be more to your anxiety than dentistry…

A trained professional such as a social worker or psychologist, can help explore the reasons for your anxiety. Perhaps the anxiety results from other issues. Sometimes, dental anxiety comes from a fearful dental experience, often from a visit at a much younger age. You may also be wrestling with general anxiety or depression, and perhaps you are not even aware of it. Visiting a new dentist for the first time can also make the situation worse.

The mouth is a very ‘personal place’ and letting a stranger perform a dental exam on you can be traumatic . Sometimes it takes a dedicated professional to sort it all out for you.

If you need help, pick up the phone and get help

If your own efforts to reduce dental anxiety fails, it may be time to consult a professional. Psychologists and social workers can guide you in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and provide appropriate medications.CBT teaches you to identify negative thoughts (such as fear of the dental drill, fear of the waiting room, fear of the ‘smell of a dental office’) along with the accompanying behaviors that are holding you back (sweaty palms, racing heart, tightening of the jaw due to stress).

Become more self aware…

Develop a thoughtful approach to fear and learn to control your emotional reaction to fear. When you become aware of your fears and your reaction to them you will begin to feel empowered. Under professional guidance you can learn to deal with your fears and then to set and achieve goals. It's time to open an honest discussion with yourself (such as through a diary) and most importantly, with your dentist and a counseler.

Be confident, when it is time to visit the dentist, you CAN change your feelings about it.

Further information can be found at:

• National Association of

  Cognitive Behavioral Therapists

  (NACBT)

• Association for Behavioral and

  Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)

• Academy of Cognitive and

  Behavioral Therapies