This post written on behalf of Villago Family Dental
I’ve struggled with dental anxiety for as long as I can remember. I have vivid recollections of battling my mother over dental appointments – my success rate counted nearly every third appointment as a cancellation.
That old adage, the one about mom is always right, rings true. I wish I made more of an effort to conquer my fear while I had a support group. My fear of the dentist was a powerful force that followed me well into my adult life. It sounds silly that a 38-year-old man would be more nervous around needles than his own children, but my situation is nothing unique.
Do a little bit of research and you’ll find that nearly 50 percent of adult men have an irrational fear of the dentist. How is this even possible? I attribute my own fears to a bad experience I had as a boy – an invasive procedure where I wasn’t properly numbed. The reason differs for a lot of people, I’m sure.
When my second child was born, I didn’t want to have the reputation of being the anti-dentist dad. How could I stress the importance of oral health to my kids when I was reluctant to schedule my own regular appointments? Something needed to change – whether you do it for yourself or someone else, having motivation to curb your anxiety is a tremendous tool.
I was completely upfront with my dentist about my anxiety. Having a good doctor makes all the difference during this uncomfortable conversation – they actually listen and form a plan of action. My dentist walked me through the procedure, even showing me the tools he used. The best part was I was able to watch golf on television during the work – I barely even noticed I was being treated for a filling.
Want to curb your dental anxiety? Talk to your dentist.