Straight Teeth in Less Time

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy Of Dental Anxiety

10 December 2019

Lois Murray

If you suffer from dental anxiety, you may not think about the ways your behaviors only make anxiety worse. In a self-fulfilling prophecy, you probably believe your dental visit will be painful or otherwise unpleasant, so you actively avoid the dentist, which ultimately makes your predictions true. Addressing your dental anxiety by not engaging in these behaviors that make dental problems worse is one step in the right direction.

Not Visiting Regularly

When you have dental anxiety, the last thing you want to do is follow your dentist's recommendations to come in more often. You should have cleanings twice yearly and an exam at least once per year. Avoiding regular visits eliminates the opportunity to desensitize yourself to the experience. Many types of anxiety or phobias can be improved with desensitization therapy. Additionally, the more you avoid the dentist, the more likely it is that the experience will be unpleasant because any dental issues have become significant. The best thing you can do for your dental anxiety is push yourself to visit more often, even if you need the help of a counselor to help you overcome your fears.

Waiting Until You Have An Infection

Most dental infections are not abrupt. You may have a cavity, broken tooth, or other issue that you put off treating until it becomes infected. Generally, infections cause intolerable pain, which pushes people with dental anxiety to visit their dentist. Once there is an infection present, the options available depend on what you can afford or are willing to do. For example, the least expensive option is to have the tooth extracted, but sometimes a tooth might be salvageable with a root canal.

If there is an active infection, there is a significant chance that the numbing medication will not work as well. Part of dental anxiety can come from the fear of experiencing pain. Waiting until there is an infection often means you experience more pain than you ordinarily would if you had tackled the problem in the beginning. There is the option to take antibiotics to eliminate the infection before proceeding with an extraction or root canal, but people with dental anxiety often do not return to the dentist once the infection clears, so the cycle repeats itself.

Needing More Extensive Procedures

Dental anxiety can be rooted in the fear of needing complex dental work or otherwise finding out bad news. Much like other ways dental anxiety can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, avoiding the dentist for years because you are afraid of bad news almost guarantees you will need an extensive procedure when you finally go. Many dental issues can be quickly fixed in the early stages, such as removing tartar with simple cleanings or filling a small cavity. When these problems are left to linger, your simple cleaning turns into a deep cleaning, and a small cavity turns into the need for a root canal or extraction.

Dental anxiety is not an easy issue to overcome, but making your dental issues worse through avoidance only precipitates more anxiety. Going to the dentist more often is one way to start the process of overcoming dental anxiety. To start making positive changes today, contact a local family dentist. 

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