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Fear of Dentistry. Tips for How You Can Control It

By: Jim Gatton

Do you have a fear of dentistry? Does just the thought of having your teeth scraped send chills up and down your spine and cause you to break out in a cold sweat? Would you rather give birth then have a cavity filled? If these things are true for you it is certain that you are living in your own personal hell.

Maybe it would help to realize that you are not alone in your fear. While you may be an unfortunate part of the extreme it is also true that almost everyone has a certain degree of fear associated with going to the dentist. It is a more common experience then dentist would have you believe. So, please draw some strength from the knowledge that you are not alone in your fear. You just need to find some way to lessen the degree of fear of dentistry that you experience.

Quite often additional knowledge will help you to control the fear or at least minimize its effect in your life. It is an old clich but it is also true that you need to know your enemy. And once you know your enemy, whether the enemy is real or imagined, it is much easier to deal with that particular enemy. One of the things that you need to do is learn a lot about dentistry, what they do for you, and how and why they do different things for you.

Also, try one more time to deal with your fear logically. I know that many people are so frightened of the dentist that they can't think logically about it to give it just one more try and maybe you will be one of the 10% of people who actually are helped by thinking about their fear of dentistry logically. If nothing else just consider the consequences of not going to the dentist wanted a regular basis or if you are going to want a regular basis but now are hiding from work that you need then consider the consequences of not having that work done. Remember that sooner or later you will have to go to the dentist for work. If you do it now it is all in your terms in stead of doing it for emergency pain relief.

You should also call with your dentist and ask for an appointment to just come in and sit down with him for a 15 or 30 minutes and just get to know him or her as a person. Talk to them about your fears and how they make you feel. Frequently just establishing a more personal relationship with your dentist accomplishes a tremendous amount in minimizing your fear.

Another valued tip for you to consider is simply to ask someone to go with you for your next dentist appointment. Perhaps even ask them for a ride so that you do not even have to deal with the additional stress of driving. The most important thing is that you have a friend or family member with you to offer encouragement and comfort. While it is true that their presence can not change anything it is also true that there is strength in numbers and they will do what they can to help you cope with this terrible situation.

Above all else remember that it is important that you do something or many things in order to cope with your fear of going to the dentist. Doing nothing about your fear obviously will not help. And, it is likely that just trying one tip for controlling your fear of dentistry will not make a major change but if you try several different methods of coping with your fear it is likely that you will make a big difference in your life. Just do something specific.

You have much to gain by learning to take control of your fear of dentistry. Having healthy teeth and an attractive smile will no doubt improve the quality of your life. You will also have much less stress and fear experienced in your life and we know that that is always a plus. Please remember that you do not have to eliminate fear of dentistry in your life in order to be healthier all you have to do is learn how to control it enough so that you can deal with your next visit to the dentist.

Article Source: http://www.health-fitness-for-all.com

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