It is completely normal and natural to feel apprehension or anxiety when preparing to receive dental treatment. Most people experience some degree of these emotions, but for some, they can be extremely intense and even debilitating. Whether caused by unpleasant previous experiences or fear about the procedure itself, anxiety and alarm keep some individuals from […]
***UPDATED 12/13/12*** Researchers are one step closer to identifying a potential origin for dental phobia, according to a recent Spanish study. Scientists examined several children (ages 7-12) who display some fear or anxiety about visiting the dentist, and it turns out that those who showed the greatest signs of anxiety shared this fear with another […]
***UPDATED: January 30, 2013*** Yet another step has been made towards pain-free dentistry with a recent study out of the University of Otago Dental School in New Zealand. After finding that a high number of children who have had extensive dental work done suffer most from anxiety and fear of the dentist, a new technique […]
In an effort to better understand dental phobia, research comparing gender and emotional reaction to dental treatments has recently been published in the European Journal of Oral Sciences. While there isn’t a huge gap between the number of men who are afraid of the dentist and their female counterparts, the study showed that women are […]
Millions of Americans suffer from dental anxiety for a number of reasons. Whether it’s the anxiety caused by potential pain that triggers an attack or the fear of a devastating diagnosis, dental phobia is very real and keeps many from visiting their dentist consistently. In an effort to better understand dental fear, a team of […]
If you experience anxiety about visiting the dentist, you’re not alone. Millions of Americans avoid the increasingly important bi-annual appointment for a myriad of reasons. People have cited such reasons as anxiety from the sounds of dental equipment, pain associated with procedures, fear of needles, fear of the dentist himself and criticism for not coming […]