Overcoming Dental Anxiety: 3 Pain Myths Debunked

Want to learn more about how to overcome dental anxiety? While many dental patients experience some level of anxiety once it comes time to see a dentist, some experience it so strongly that it makes it difficult for them to make it to their dental appointments. One of the causes of dental anxiety is the fear of experiencing any type of pain.

Overcoming dental anxiety

There is not one single reason why dental patients experience anxiety but instead, there are several reasons. Examples include experiencing an unpleasant dental appointment, an overall feeling of helplessness, being embarrassed about one’s overall health or being afraid that they are going to experience a lot of pain. For patients who are afraid of experiencing any dental pain, they should know that not all dental treatments are painful, especially when the proper techniques are utilized.

3 Myths about dental pain

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a common reason why people develop dental anxiety is a fear of pain. This anxiety often stems from a bad experience during dental treatment. Some patients are able to overcome their anxiety and others live with this anxiety for the rest of their lives. The list below includes some of the more common myths about experiencing any kind of dental pain when at the dental office.

1. Going to a dental appointment means pain is going to be experienced

Not every dental treatment is going to result in a patient experiencing pain. In fact, one of the goals of professional dentists is to do everything they can to ensure their patient does not experience any pain during their treatment. There are even advanced dental technologies in place nowadays that can make dental treatments virtually painless, e.g., dental lasers. Two examples of how these lasers can be used are for cavity treatment and for root canal therapy purposes.

2. Root canals are extremely painful

When dental patients who experience any level of dental anxiety are in need of a root canal, they will either keep putting off an appointment or never make one in the first place because they do not want to experience any pain. Root canal therapy is performed in order to save teeth, making it essential for any dental patient who needs a root canal to have it performed quickly. The fact is that root canal treatment has come a long way in recent years with the use of new technologies and techniques.

3. Dental injections are very painful

While many dental patients will need to be numbed before undergoing any necessary dental treatments so that they will not experience any pain, many who experience dental anxiety are afraid that these injections will be very painful. When the fear of dental injections is expressed to a dentist, they will take extra precautions to make sure that the patient experiences no pain while being injected. This often includes the dentist applying more of the topical numbing gel, as well as squeezing the cheek gently during the injection process.

Suffering from dental anxiety?

Is dental anxiety getting in the way of your ability to go to the dental office? Many people who experience anxiety is due to the fact that they are afraid to experience any dental-treatment related pain. There are many myths about dental pain and learning these myths will help them overcome their case of dental anxiety.

Request an appointment here: https://robertperlerdds.com or call Robert F. Perler DDS, MS, FAGD at (914) 636-8082 for an appointment in our New Rochelle office.

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