Dr. Preetha Peethambar

White and red patches in mouth requires urgent attention.

For most people, a visit to the dentist is not a routine affair, it is mandated by tooth pain or bleeding gums. Surveys have been conducted to understand this, and at least 50% of the people have a fear of dentists.

Listed below are some common reasons cited by people as to why they fear a dentist:

1. General Anxiety: Unlike a regular doctor's set-up, the dental office with its various equipment and materials can be quite intimidating for anybody. This is one of the main reasons most people fear going to a dentist. Whether it is the big X-ray equipment or the drills used on the teeth, the person walking into the clinic has a general fear.

2. Fear of embarrassment and negligence: As mentioned, most people go to the dentist when a symptom sets in. Visiting a dentist and opening the mouth reveals the negligence of the person in terms of oral health, and this is an embarrassment for most people.

3.Tooth removal: A decade or so ago, for most decayed tooth, removal would be the only problem. In such cases, especially if the tooth was grossly decayed, it would be removed, sometimes with use of multiple instruments and in small pieces. The recent advancements have reduced the instances of tooth removal, however, this is a major reason for people to fear a dentist.

4. Injection: The thought of having an injection in the mouth is another big no-no for most people. There could also be the possibility of having a bad experience with an earlier dentist, where there might have been more than a prick to get the anesthetic effect.

5. Fear of pain: In this major set-up, most people are not sure which instrument might be used on them and they fear that this can cause additional pain to the tooth that is already in pain.

6. Fear of getting bad news: The dentist will diagnose the problem and reveal bad news about the problem. This might involve not just complicated treatment but also can be quite expensive.

7. Connecting to a bad experience: In some cases, the person could have had a previous bad experience and this might prevent them from going to any other dentist. The bad memory always comes to the fore and prevents the person from going through another bad experience.

8. The use of drill: Whether or not the person in the clinic requires drilling, the mere sound of it puts off some people from visiting a dentist. Opening the mouth and getting a tooth drilled is one of the biggest fears for most people.

Walk into a dentist with none of these fears and you will be relieved of your dental and oral problems.

If you wish to discuss about any specific dental problem, you can consult a specilized dentist and ask a free question.