Dental phobia (Odontophobia, Dentophobia), fear of dentists: Information, tips and help in Berlin & online
Hypnotherapy and Hypnobalancing™ in BerlinOverview
Dental phobia, Odontophobia, Dentophobia, fear of dentists
Most people don’t like going to the dentist. Many adults are terrified of visiting the dentist. Dental anxiety ranges from mild uneasiness to acute anxiety and even panic attacks. When a person will not go at all to the dentist despite needing treatment, they can be said to be suffering from a dental phobia.
Dental phobia, dentophobia is an exaggerated and unwarranted fear of dental care, most often the dentist himself or herself. This phobia is also otherwise known as odontophobia and dental fear. Some people suffer from dentophobia to such an extremity that simply seeing a dental surgery photo or image can cause distress.
Fears of visiting the dentist vary from person to person. Some people have their fear triggered by the sound of the drill or the thought of needles in sensitive areas of their mouth. For some, it is the loss of control that is most feared, for others, it is the fear of pain.
People with dental phobia have an awareness that the fear is totally irrational, but are unable to do much about it. They exhibit classic avoidance behavior; that is, they will do everything possible to avoid going to the dentist.
Good oral care is essential to your overall health and the longer your teeth are left untreated, the worse off you’ll be. It’s time to take control and let your dentist help you. Hypnotherapy is a proven way to prepare you.
Causes
Dental phobias most of the time reach back to childhood, where a traumatic experience may have left us with feelings of anxiety about going to the dentist. The potential reasons are numerous but whatever the reason, you could overcome a dental phobia.
A traumatic experience at the dentist’s office can leave a child with a frightening experience that can become a root cause of the phobia. Some people only pay a visit to their dentist when they have dental emergencies. The procedures that they have to undergo may be more difficult than the usual procedures thus aggravating the fear.
Moreover, the sound of drills can be very discomforting for some and can add to the already traumatic experience. People also circulate exaggerated dental fear stories that can further increase or breed the phobia. In some people, dentophobia causes can include diseases such as tooth decay.
Talk to your dentist
Talking to your dentist about your fears is one of the most simple and straightforward steps you can take to deal with your dentophobia. Alternatively, you can talk to a therapist about the various therapy options. This is a healthy step in the right direction. Ultimately, the goal of every dentophobia treatment is to get you to see a dentist without any fear or anxiety.
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This page is designed to provide essential information for individuals interested in psychotherapy through hypnotherapy. However, it is not intended to replace professional psychotherapy, medical consultations, examinations, or diagnoses by a licensed medical practitioner.
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I am a hypnotherapist licensed to practice psychotherapy under the HPG (Heilpraktikergesetz). My work focuses on helping people manage anxiety and anxiety disorders. It is important to note the following distinctions:
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Published: March 12, 2007
Author: Karsten Noack
Revision: January 17, 2025
Translation: August 23, 2019
German version:
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T: RR
AN: #132