Overcoming odontophobia

“Brush your teeth or I will take you to the dentist. He will pluck all you teeth with injections” yelled Meena to her daughter Tanya at the top of her voice to ensure she will brush her teeth before the school bus arrives. Tanya is so scared of dentists that the thought of a dental office or a dentist is always a nightmare. She brushes twice daily so that she will never need  to go a dentist. She developed odontophobia or fear for dentists .Meena has not been to the dentist in last 6 years. She always depends on Ayurvedic preparations and local chemists for her dental problems. Last visit to the dentist was so scary that in spite of broken teeth on both jaws and difficulty in chewing normal food she never went to any dentist. Now she is confronted with head and ear ache in the evening and all the doctors have prescribed to meet the dentist. By this time she had multiple problems related to the loss of teeth at the back side of the mouth and the joints are damaged causing unbearable pain.Why is it so late? What prevented the patient from the timely action? The suffering and the torment now the patient has is the result of their fear of dentists. It has created major problems in the functioning of the body, especially the digestive system. The joint pain is due to improper teeth contacts and missing teeth are seen in most of these people.Odontophobia cannot be attributed to the fear instilled by parents alone. The  experience shared by colleagues and pictures/videos that portray pain and discomfort during and after the dental procedures also play a role. But the main reason can be bad experience at the dentist.Overcoming the scareLearn about dental problems and understand the treatment process before doing the procedures. Always tell the dentist that you fear sensitivity and the sight of needles so that he can avoid those.Go for shortened and simplified treatment procedures using better technology. For example root canal therapies could be completed on a single visit in just 20 to 45 minutes instead of 4-5 sittings as by convention. Fixing and activating orthodontic braces is just 2 hour appointment than multiple appointments. Treat the problems at the start. Don’t wait until the problem worsens as it will lead to further complications. Never tell children stories on injections at dental office. Rather, take them along when you visit the dentist and build a rapport between the child and the dentist.Causes of the scare are mainly two. The drilling machines and the cleaning machines (scalers) may cause some sensitivity. The second is post operative pain due to partially disinfected teeth during a root canal therapy.Cost of dental treatments is another anxiety inducing factor. There are some tips to reduce your overall dental health expenditure.Have a check up done every six months and follow the oral hygiene instructions as prescribedTreat your minor problems like sensitivity or dark dental spots or food lodging before developing pain. Never extract teeth unless broken below the gums or so loose that it falls out.Use good material with guarantee and avoid cheap material used for fillings or restorations.Go to a well trained dentist who has time and patience to explain procedures and their advantages. Get the best treatment than compromising in treatment.