dental anxiety and fear
Dental anxiety is a condition where a patient experiences distress before visiting a dental professional. Several factors within the dental setting may cause a dental phobia. It could be equipment like dental drills or needles, or just being afraid of the dentist.
Many patients may encounter dental problems due to dental anxiety if they skip their dental visits. Jason Widner DMD Family Dentistry retains highly trained specialists with experience dealing with dental health problems. Our team will gently address your concerns, helping you stay comfortable. The process may also involve anesthesia for severe cases of dental anxiety.
Causes of Dental Phobia
Dental anxiety is characterized by unusual fear of visiting the dentist. It could happen after a distressing experience at a dental or healthcare practice. Individual attitudes could also trigger episodes of dental anxiety. Some patients view the mouth as a private area, which may cause an intense subconscious reaction during dental exams. You may also feel like you are losing control if you are sensitive about your personal space.
Preexisting mental health issues such as generalized anxiety disorder or PTSD, could trigger episodes of intense anxiety. Depression and bipolar disorder can make patients susceptible to dental phobia.
Dental anxiety can trigger a range of psychological and physiological symptoms. Some patients could experience fidgeting and sweating while others may have a drop in blood pressure. Some could even have a loss of consciousness. For some patients, these symptoms can be debilitating enough to cause them to avoid the dental office. Avoiding dental exams and treatment can have far-reaching implications for your oral health.
Impact of Dental Fear on Oral Health
Dental checkups are necessary for capturing the earliest symptoms of dental disease. Since anxieties can make you avoid visiting the dentist, oral health issues will progress into full-blown illnesses. It can lead to a vicious cycle where the disease gets worse every time you skip visiting the dentist.
Our dental team will check your teeth and gums. X-rays can identify symptoms of oral diseases at their onset. If you allow oral disease to progress, it will increase the cost and complexity of treatments.
The earlier you get treatment, the easier it will be to address oral health issues. At later stages, the interventions are usually invasive. They require surgery or extensive procedures that may take time to recover from.
How to Address Dental Anxiety
When you visit our office, you can expect the highest level of care from our team. Our specialists can use a range of interventions to address dental anxiety. The dental team will perform assessments to determine if anesthesia is ideal for your case.
Our dental specialists may suggest conscious sedation to alleviate discomfort during the session. You'll be awake but will not experience any pain. However, the type of sedation will depend on the diagnosis. Other factors, such as the type of treatment, will also determine the best approach for your case.
Our dental specialists at Jason Widner DMD Family Dentistry have extensive experience with dental sedation. Call 425-868-0123 to book your consultation today and learn how sedation dentistry can help with anxiety and other ways you can lower your anxiety levels.