Dental anxiety is hard to imagine for those not suffering it. The overwhelming distress is your brain telling you that you are about to enter an unsafe situation. That brain has been developing for thousands of years through evolution and so calming down the irrational thoughts is always going to be a challenge. For many, this dental anxiety is so engrained in their heads that they avoid visiting the dentist even when they are in dire pain. It seems like a paradox that fear is stopping you from keeping your teeth healthy! If this sounds like you then it is vital you tackle this phobia head on. 
Why Do You HaveDental Phobia?
Fear of pain: has been a big barrier to many people. Often people can be unaware at how painless most treatments are nowadays. With the advent of new techniques and technology, the information your grandparents may well be outdated. Try to research the procedure a little and you may well be pleasantly surprised. Lack of control: is also a common fear of those carrying some form of dental phobia. This fear is difficult to overcome. You must understand that the dentist is very well trained and knows what he or she is doing. Most dentists will be able to sit down and talk to you about your fears. During this time you will develop an understanding that it is okay for the dentist to be in control. They will have performed the treatment hundreds of times before and know exactly what they are doing.
What is the best way to overcome your concerns?
Talking about them is a great place to start. Once you begin to talk to your friends and family you may be surprised how many of them also suffer or have suffered from dental anxiety. In fact, dental anxiety is one of the most common phobias suffered by people in the United Kingdom. Due to the high volume of dental phobia sufferers many dentists actually now specifically train in treating patients who suffer form dental anxiety. It is commonplace for a phobia to have built up from some bad childhood experience with the dentist and now that you are much older, dental surgeries have changed a lot and it may surprise you how comfortable you will now feel. It may just be a case of getting to the dentist in the first place. Once you are in the door you may feel much better and ready to start looking after your teeth.
Bring a Friend For Moral Support
Many people find that having a close friend or family member with them can help calm them down. This is often only necessary for a couple of check ups and by then the patient is much more at ease and happy to visit the dentist by themselves. If anything, your friend can act as a distraction to the surroundings you are in, making you feel much more comfortable with somebody that you know.
Psychological Methods
Essentially, the fear itself is a part of your psychology. You know that the fear is irrational in your true self but you cannot control the feelings you have. This type of feat is deep-set in your brain but there are some simple methods you can use to stop your brain from thinking in such a detrimental way. One option is the power of distraction. This can be something as simple as a stress ball that you can squeeze whilst the dentist is at work. Another example may be to listen to music or watch a film if the dentist has a tv monitor in the surgery. You will be surprised how easy it is to keep your brain occupied! Hypnotherapy can be used and although it is not scientifically proven to solve dental phobia, for some people, it can relax and make their visit to the dentist much less of an anxiety war. It works by using certain words and phrases that will embed further into your subconscious than normal conversation. These subconscious thoughts are planted to help you see your fears in a different light. They will change the way you think about the dentist and make it easy for you to feel comfortable in the dental chair. This type of treatment has fixed results but many have said that it's worked wonders.
In Conclusion...
Each patient will find that different methods will work better for them. It is important never to give up until you beat dental phobia because your teeth literally depend on it!