3 Reasons Why Going to the Dentist Is Scary — Understanding the Cause Solves Half the Problem

"Doctor, actually, it’s been hurting for quite a while, but I was scared, so I just kept taking medicine and came in now.

I’m Kim Tae-hyung, the chief dentist at Blanche Dental Clinic.

I meet patients with dental phobia very often in the treatment room.

Some hold out for as short as 1 to 2 years, and others for more than 10 years before finally opening the door.

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To be honest, even when I get scaling, I still never really get used to the sound of the instruments.

Even though I’m a dentist. Haha.

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Dental phobia is not a matter of willpower. There is definitely a cause.�a0

As a dentist, to put it bluntly, if you understand the cause, you really solve half of it.

Today, I’ll organize this exactly the way I explain it directly to patients in the treatment room.

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The brain remembers it

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When I ask people who have dental phobia, there is almost always one story that comes up.

"I had a lot of pain at the dentist when I was young."

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They received treatment before the anesthesia had fully taken effect, or sudden pain came during treatment. At that moment, the brain quietly records it: "This place is dangerous."

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In technical terms, this is called a "conditioned fear response."

It works the same way as pulling your hand back just from seeing a pot after burning yourself once on one.

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The problem is that memory does not disappear even after decades.

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Some people experienced something as a child, and even after turning 40, their heart still races when they sit in a dental chair.

It’s not because they lack willpower. That’s just how the brain is designed.

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In this case, the solution is to "overwrite it with a good experience."

Before treatment, talk enough with the chief dentist and understand in advance what sequence things will follow. A predictable situation feels much less frightening to the brain.

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You can be scared even if it doesn’t hurt

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This is actually something many people don’t know.

There are people who are extremely scared of the dentist even though they have no pain at all.

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When I ask why, they always say something like this.

"That drill sound... just hearing it makes my whole body freeze."

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The unique vibration and high-frequency noise of dental instruments can cause discomfort separate from actual pain. When this discomfort is repeated, it hardens into fear. In particular, the more sensitive someone is to sound, the more intensely they feel it.

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For these patients, I allow them to wear earphones in the treatment room.

I tell them to come with their favorite music or YouTube playing. Just blocking out one sound can completely change their expression.

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And one more thing. It helps to agree in advance with the attending chief dentist on a "signal promise" like raising your hand to pause treatment for a moment. Just knowing that I can stop things changes how I feel.

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That feeling of lying down and not being able to do anything

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Think about the posture during dental treatment for a moment.

You are half reclined in a chair, your mouth is open, you can’t see anything, and unfamiliar instruments are moving inside your mouth.

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Even if something feels strange, you can’t speak. It’s hard to raise your hand carelessly either. This feeling of "I can’t do anything" is the third root of fear.

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Humans instinctively perceive unpredictable situations as dangerous.

That is exactly the situation in a dental chair.

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That’s why I keep talking during treatment.

"The anesthesia is going in now," "I’m going to start the drill now; it’ll make some noise, but it won’t hurt." Something like that.

It may seem like nothing, but after seeing thousands of cases, I’ve found that just one sentence like this clearly changes the patient’s level of tension.

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If you’re still too scared — there are options

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There are people who, even after trying all of the methods above, still just can’t do it.

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In that case, sedation dentistry (conscious sedation) can be considered. It doesn’t mean you are completely put to sleep; it is a method that keeps you conscious while calming the anxiety itself.

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Because spontaneous breathing is maintained, the physical burden is much lighter than with general anesthesia. However, in rare cases, nausea or mild headache may occur, so a pre-treatment health check is essential.

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But let me be honest.

Sedation is not necessary for everyone.

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It costs extra, requires a companion, and may be difficult to apply depending on underlying conditions. I cannot agree with recommending "just do sedation" without even looking at the case first.

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At Blanche, after 충분한 상담, we decide together on the method that best fits that patient. It’s also possible because it’s not a different doctor every time you visit; I personally see everything from start to finish.

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You can come as you are, even if you’re scared

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You don’t need to come only after you’ve "overcome" dental phobia.

You need to tell me how you feel first so I can prepare accordingly.

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Just remember one thing. If you delay because you’re scared, a simple cavity becomes root canal treatment, and root canal treatment becomes extraction. And after extraction, an implant is waiting.

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My preference is to save a tooth that can be extracted if it can still be preserved. But if you come too late, that option disappears entirely. The earlier you come, the shorter the treatment and the much lower the cost.

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With just one X-ray, I can check how far things have progressed right now, and I’ll personally determine which approach would be the least frightening.

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Feel free to leave your symptoms or concerns in the comments. This was Banpo Blanche Dental Clinic. Thank you.

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