I’ve never really feared zombies. They seem to walk very slowly, so for now I have an advantage. But a zombie apocalypse apparently is a fear for some people. Fear of dentists, dental offices and dental work get less attention than a zombie apocalypse, but are a real problem for many patients.
Most patients with dental fears seem reluctant to bring it up or discuss it and sometimes hide it. We have a specific question on our new patient form that asks about dental fears and I am always amazed how many people claim various dental fears–probably close to 50 percent.
So what do we do about that? Every patient is different. Some patients just fear bad news. The good news is that It’s rarely as bad as imagined.
Some patients fear injections (novocaine) or xrays. Those are an easy fix because new techniques are much more comfortable. No more big long needles and no more cardboard scraping your gums.
Many patients just have general anxiety, usually from previous dental experiences. Solutions in those cases range from a thorough explanation of what will be done (though some patients don’t want to know anything about what is being done), music (headphones), nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or some form of oral sedation, or all of the above. These options have converted many fearful patients to more relaxed and comfortable dental patients.
Some of the new oral sedatives are so effective and safe it’s a shame we didn’t have them a long time ago.
Most important is getting into a regular maintenance routine and regular cleanings so subsequent visits are easier and faster. Faster than a zombie on a blood trail. Happy Halloween.