Dental Anxiety: A Self-fulfilling Prophecy

| Total Words: 535

There are people who would rather endure the excruciating pain of a toothache than pay their dentists a visit. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, about 25 million Americans refuse to get dental treatment due to fear. Millions of people prefer to live with their dental problems to avoid the procedures to fix them. Odontophobia is an irrational fear of dental surgery. Most people experience dental phobia due to the anticipation of the pain rather than the pain itself.

Based on studies, the most known cause of dental anxiety is the memory of an unpleasant experience, such as a cut lip, that occurred in the dentist’s chair. Children who were held down in a chair against their will, or whose protests of pain were ignored by their dentists, may also remember the feeling of helplessness and panic as adults.

There are two factors inherent to dentistry concerning dental phobia: the intrusive nature of the work and the patient’s loss of control. According to Dr. Matthew Messina, a spokesman for the American Dental Association, in order for him to treat his patients, he needs to get into their personal space. I have to be closer to you than almost...

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