Saranya L, 27, from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, always feared visiting the dentist. Looking back at her first experience, she says that a dentist for straightening some crooked teeth. She was advised to undergo an alignment procedure but that would mean removing four teeth.
Saranya says, “I was anxious about the injection and the pain.”
To put her at ease, the dentist used a numbing spray before giving her an injection. Yet, when the time for the injection came, Saranya would get flustered.
She remembers that “On several days, I returned home from the dental clinic without getting any tooth removed but only enduring the numbing spray.” She knew that a dental treatment alone would straighten her crooked teeth. Yet her fear of the slightest pain made it difficult for her to get the teeth extracted.
One day, she mustered courage and made an appointment, telling herself that everything would be fine. But once in the dental chair, her anxiety welled up on seeing the instruments. Closing her eyes to block them did not help the matter.
Fear of the procedure
Saranya told the dentist of her fear and he was understanding about it, promising to be extra slow and gentle with the extraction. He discussed each step of the procedure with her.
It worked: She relaxed and cooperated when the injection was given, trying not to focus on what was being done. To her surprise, Saranya realised that her fear was worse than what she had imagined about the pain of the procedure.
Over the next few visits, she felt less and less fearful to be in the dental chair. She had worked herself out of her fear.
Dentophobia. That is the name given to what Saranya went through at first: an intense fear or anxiety associated with dental procedures or visiting the dentist. The reasons people, mostly youngsters like Saranya, feel anxious about a dental procedure include the sight of a complicated chair with its needles and instruments, the clinical scents of chemicals and the smell and sound of a cavity being cleaned and drilled.
Risk factors
A 2018 study published in the Indian Journal of Dental Research says that the anxiety may result in tension, avoiding dental treatment, aggression and emotional instability. It may affect the person’s sleep, work and social relationships.
Dr Nishtha Singh, pedodontist, Gautam Dental Clinic, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, says, “The main reason for avoiding dental treatments is the fear of the unknown. It happens due to lack of understanding about the procedures.”
People who have had unfavourable dental experiences or have got negative information about dentists or dental treatments from their circles tend to feel anxious if they have to visit a dentist.
Shaping factors
Dr Tejaswini says, “Parents should be aware of [different] dental treatments. If they are scared of the procedure, they might pass the same anxiety on to their children.”
Talking about dentophobia in children, a 2018 study published in The journal of contemporary dental practice says that parents should build a positive mindset in children to make their dental treatment a happy one. It also gives a positive outcome to the procedures.
Oral cavity and the body
The oral cavity is a reflection of the entire body. Oral health problems can manifest in the body and vice-versa. Untreated cavities can lead to pain, abscess, swelling, fever and septicaemia (blood poisoning due to infection across the blood stream).
(Read more about tooth cavities)
Most children cannot express themselves when they have a health problem or an ache. As with their general health, parents should also be alert to oral health issues of their young children. They should watch out if their child touches any painful area in face, makes strange facial expressions, or avoids eating due to pain while chewing.
“Some parents may threaten their children or use the dentist as a punishment tool. It can create a negative perception in the youngsters and deter them from seeking dental care [as adults,]” says Dr Singh.
A calming ambience
For individuals, the advice for oral health is: Consult the dentist regularly for an oral examination. It not only helps in managing oral health issues but also establishes a rapport between the two.
For the dentist, here are some tips. A 2022 study published in the Australian Dental Journal says playing relaxing music in the waiting room and during the procedure reduces the anxiety. It diverts the person’s attention from the sounds and motions of a dental procedure.
Placing a diffuser with calming essential oils can calm people waiting in a clinic to see their dentist. The study suggests that essential oils of orange, lavender and lemongrass calm the individual during the procedure and reduce the pain.
Plucking the fear out
- Create a child-friendly clinic environment with cartoons, toys and stickers.
- Educate the child on his or her first visit about dental procedures and show the tools.
- Show pictorial books, cartoons and videos where children are visiting a dental clinic and having a good time. It motivates them to face their own procedure.
- Reward the children for cooperating during the procedure.
- Parents can take their children along when they visit a dentist. It creates a positive perception of dental procedures that the parent is having.
- Schools can include oral health-related activities such as dental awareness and check-up camps, talks by dentists, audiovisual education and pamphlets.
A 2020 study published in BMC oral health states that experimental learning reduces dentophobia in children. Oral health education can be introduced in the classroom in the form of role play, such as children enacting the roles of dentist, patient and nurse.
(Read more about `Milk tooth: significance of early intervention for cavities’)
