How Can You Overcome Dental Phobia? Dental Treatment Doesn’t Have to Be Scary Anymore?!

Dental Treatment Without Fear: The Solution from Dr. Lee Hyeon-jeong of Areumduri Dental Clinic

Dental phobia is a problem that more people experience than you might think.

Hello. There are many people who feel afraid and scared of going to the dentist, right?

Dental phobia, that is, fear of dental treatment, is a common problem that many people experience.

But there are ways to overcome this fear. Today, I’d like to talk about how people with dental phobia can overcome their fear, and how dental treatment can become much safer and more comfortable.

Why Does Dental Phobia Develop?

Dental phobia is a state of vague fear and anxiety about dental treatment, and the biggest cause is past trauma.

If you have ever experienced severe pain during dental treatment, that memory remains as fear.

For example, if you received treatment without enough anesthesia, or if unexpected pain occurred, that memory can become ingrained, making you put off visiting the dentist and ultimately harming your dental health.

Because dental phobia is an emotion that comes from real experiences rather than simple fear, it should be gradually reduced by repeatedly carrying out treatment in a way that does not cause pain!

In particular, many patients delay treatments that could have been handled easily, only to visit the dentist once the condition has worsened and become unbearable. In the end, this creates a vicious cycle that leads to more painful and complex treatment. Receiving treatment at the proper time and breaking this cycle is the first step in overcoming dental phobia.

Step-by-Step Approaches to Overcoming Dental Phobia

Overcoming dental phobia does not happen overnight.

At the first visit, only a simple examination or consultation is done. Through this process, you can become familiar with the dental environment and build trust with the doctor. For example, the first visit may involve only an oral examination, and the next visit may include scaling, gradually increasing the intensity of treatment.

To reduce the patient’s anxiety during treatment, a topical anesthetic may be applied first before giving an injection, or an automatic anesthesia system may be used to minimize pain.

To give patients a sense of control during treatment, a “signal system” can be used, where the treatment stops if the patient raises a hand. This can help patients feel more secure during the procedure.

To overcome dental phobia, do not try to handle everything alone. It is important to overcome fear together with a dentist who understands your fear and helps you receive treatment comfortably. Take it slowly, little by little, and overcome the fear together.

What Happens If You Put Off Dental Treatment?

Delaying treatment because of dental phobia can have a serious impact on oral health. Problems that could be easily resolved at an early stage can develop over time into situations that require complex and painful treatment.

For example, early periodontitis can be resolved with a simple scaling procedure, but if left untreated, the gums may recede, exposing the tooth roots, or in severe cases, the teeth may become loose and eventually fall out. Once it reaches that stage, complex and costly treatment such as implants becomes necessary.

Treatment Methods at Areumduri Dental Clinic

• One of the things many people fear most is the anesthetic injection.

Using topical anesthesia or a painless anesthetic device that slowly injects the anesthetic solution can help minimize pain. These methods are very helpful for people with dental phobia. Of course, Areumduri Dental Clinic also has topical anesthetics and painless anesthetic devices.

However, topical anesthesia takes more time before anesthesia can be applied, and it also has the downside of not tasting very good.

Director Lee Hyeon-jeong is known for administering anesthesia so well that patients do not feel pain, even without topical anesthetics or painless anesthetic devices. That is one reason why Areumduri Dental Clinic has many patients with phobias~

• There is one of the most important points for reducing phobia: trust in the doctor in charge.

Since most phobias arise from past trauma,

if the belief and trust form that

this doctor won’t hurt me!

then the fear is greatly reduced. To build that kind of relationship, the level of familiarity between both sides also matters, so how sincerely the medical staff care for and treat the patient is also an important point.

• Painless scaling is a technique that minimizes the pain patients feel during gum treatment. This method produces little vibration and noise, and almost no heat, greatly reducing patient anxiety and helping them feel more comfortable.

• Sedation dentistry is a method in which a doctor-prescribed medication is used so that the patient can receive treatment in a relaxed state and remember very little of the procedure. Patients feel as if they are waking from sleep and do not experience the discomfort or fear of treatment.

It is especially used for patients with severe phobia or when complex treatment is needed.

• Sometimes there is fear of the sound of dental equipment

Some people are strongly afraid of the machine sounds that occur during dental treatment. These days, the “noise cancellation” function on earphones has become common.

Patients can bring and wear the earphones they usually carry, use the noise cancellation function, and listen loudly to music they normally like in order to reduce the fear caused by the sounds of dental equipment.

• When someone clenches or tears at their own hands because of vague fear

There are some patients who subtly pinch or grip their own hands in an effort to overcome their phobia. In such cases, they may end up with injuries on their hands after treatment, so you can hold and tear at the jelly doll we provide.

Daily Care Tips for Healthy Teeth

JTBC 'Today Good Day' Periodontal Disease Segment

Proper brushing helps with periodontal disease

• Proper toothbrushing at a 45-degree angle - Recommended to gently brush in small circles from the gumline

• Use dental floss and interdental brushes - Manage the spaces between teeth by using floss or interdental brushes in combination

• Regular dental checkups - Prevent bigger pain with a checkup every 6 months

• Balanced eating habits - Avoid excessive sugar and acidic foods

• Rinse with water - Practice the simple habit of rinsing your mouth with water after eating

Dental phobia is something that can be overcome.

It is important to gradually reduce fear through an approach tailored to each patient.

Based on this philosophy, Areumduri Dental Clinic creates an environment where patients with dental phobia can receive treatment comfortably.

Overcome dental phobia and maintain healthy teeth. You can do it too.