Fear of dental care is more intense when faced with invasive procedures like oral surgery, and less so for simple tooth cleaning (prophylaxis). Professional dentists believe invasive dentistry becomes necessary because of avoidance of early dental care, and this is a direct result of fears which may have begun in early painful experiences with dentists who lacked empathy and care.
Feelings of helplessness, an inability to control the situation, could come from a dentist who did not stop a painful procedure when it became unbearable. Dentists can help the fearful with a combination of behavioral, and pharmacological, techniques and services.
Photographs taken before the operative procedure, during and after the dental work, help greatly in the patient understanding the source of discomfort experienced. Helpful pharmaceuticals which may be utilized to minimize tension and fear include oral, intravenous, or even gas interventions, and of vital importance is the need for gentle application. Mouth injections in less sensitive areas of the mouth, with an interval allowed to move to another injection spot in adjacent tissue, can reduce the pain sensation in the mouth.
Behaviorally, dentists can praise the patient (positive reinforcement), use gentle and encouraging language, and carefully explain techniques to be used. Explaining dental work in lay language and preparing the patient by illustrating what is to come, before it comes, helps the patient feel in control of the procedure and of attendant discomfort. The dentists at SouthEnd Dentistry work to eliminate discomfort and tension for the patient, physically and emotionally.
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