Who Else Is Afraid Of Going To The Dentist?

There is always this weird stigma about going to the dentist. I have heard from so many different people that are genuinely worried that something bad will happen to them when they sit down in that dentist chair. And for what? Honestly, is there any reason to be that scared of the dentist? I don’t think so. Sure it can be uncomfortable to have to drive all the way, and it is definitely annoying to have to sit in the waiting room at the dentist. I remember back to when I was young, I would have to wait for almost 30 minutes in this stuffy waiting room in order to get into my dentist appointment every 6 months. Apparently that is the timeframe my mom decided I needed to get a check up at the dentist, so I would go every 6 months. I am proud to say in all my time being alive, I have only had one cavity! As a kid who loved sugar and often neglected brushing my teeth correctly, I’d say that is a pretty good number!

Overall, I really do not understand what people are so afraid of at the dentist. I became so curious that I started to research some of the psychological factors that may go into being scared of the dentist. In fact, it was interesting to read about how serious this fear has become for some people, even up to levels that match any other known phobias that a person may have. I think one of the biggest things people fear at the dentist is being in pain. I can understand this in some ways, because most people don’t really like to feel pain, including me. However, this fear is a bit irrational considering my past experiences with the dentist. Either I have had an amazing dentist all my life who decided not to hurt me, or dentists don’t really cause all that much pain. Even in bigger operations like a tooth pulling or a root canal, it is really common for dentists to simply numb someone’s mouth in order for them to feel more comfortable. I think this is really considerate for the dentist to do and is often overlooked by people who just have a general fear of dentists without a reason based in reality. 

Another reason that people tend to fear the dentist is because there is a perceived loss of control. While this fear also makes sense, as losing control can be scary, I do not think that it necessarily applies to dentistry. In fact, most dentists are super chill and will not do anything to your mouth that they wouldn’t do on their own. You are also in control of the situation the entire time, unless of course they put you to sleep. But in that case, you do not have anything to worry about because you will be asleep anyways! When I got put to sleep to get my wisdom teeth pulled, it was overall a great experience because I don’t remember a single thing that happened. I was completely unconscious and dead to the world for like an hour, and that was just perfect with me. I hope you can get over your fear of the dentist because there really is no reason for you to be so scared, come on man.