Afraid of Going to the Dentist? What Is the Solution for Dental Phobia, Which 80% of Adults Experience?

Hello.

This is Haruplant Dental Clinic, where a comfortable daily life begins with one day.

Most people probably do not enjoy going to the hospital,

but among them, the dentist is especially often a source of fear.

In fact, there is even an official word for dental phobia:

dentophobia.

In fact, about 60% to 80% of adults feel anxious about dental treatment,

and about 10% of them are found to experience such severe fear and anxiety

that it can be called dental phobia.

For this reason, many patients who visit Haruplant Dental Clinic

also say they had a lot to think about before deciding to receive treatment.

Today, we will take a detailed look at why dental treatment feels scary and burdensome,

and how to overcome it.

Causes of Dental Phobia

✔ Past trauma

Most dental phobias stem from experiences in childhood.

Needles for anesthesia, the sound of drills, and cold instruments can become frighteningly imprinted in memory.

Especially in the past, dental treatment was less advanced than it is now,

so people often felt pain during treatment or experienced unfamiliar sensations.

Those memories remain, and when they think of the dentist, anxiety naturally rushes in.

✔ The unique sounds and smells of a dental clinic

The sound of drills or air flowing from dental instruments,

which can only be heard at a dental clinic, has a high and sharp pitch, so if someone is sensitive,

the brain may perceive it as a threat and feel repelled by it.

Also, the smell of disinfectant unique to dental clinics can be a source of anxiety.​

If you had a frightening experience at the dentist as a child,

even this smell alone can automatically make you tense or anxious.

This happens because the brain links certain sounds or smells with past experiences.

Uncomfortable moments experienced at the dentist unconsciously come back,

and dental treatment itself starts to feel stressful.

✔ The helplessness of having to keep your mouth open

During dental treatment, you usually have to lie down with your mouth open.

At that moment, it is difficult to directly see how the treatment is progressing,

and you may feel that you cannot stop it when you want to.

Such situations can create a sense of losing control,

which can further intensify anxiety about dental treatment.

✔ The fixed idea that 'dental treatment hurts'

Nowadays, dental treatment is not very painful thanks to advances in anesthesia.

Even so, many people become scared because they assume it will hurt.

In particular, when people encounter reviews of dental treatment or scary personal stories online,

they may feel even more frightened, even without experiencing it themselves.

So how can dental phobia be overcome?

Fear of dental treatment is not just a simple mood,

but a psychological reaction that many people actually experience.

However, that does not mean you can simply endure tooth pain.

If you keep delaying treatment because of fear of the dentist,

the symptoms may worsen, and visiting the dentist can become even more frightening.

Fortunately, there is a special solution for people like this.

It is the 'sleep implant' using conscious sedation.

Conscious sedation is an anesthesia method commonly used for sleep endoscopy at university hospitals or

for minor surgeries, and it relaxes both the body and mind into a comfortable state.

Unlike general anesthesia, you can breathe on your own,

and because consciousness is maintained, you can also talk with the medical staff.

Because it puts you into a comfortable state as if you are lightly dozing off,

it is often called 'sleep anesthesia' for easier understanding.

Treatment using this method is what is called a sleep implant.

This is a great help for people with severe dental fear,

because the tension is relieved, the treatment process does not feel frightening at all,

and after the treatment there is little or no memory, or only a faint one,

as if you had briefly taken a nap.

Today, we looked in detail at the causes of dental phobia.

Knowing the cause does not make fear of the dentist disappear instantly.

If you are hesitating about dental treatment, a sleep implant can be a comfortable option.

In particular, many people are satisfied because it reduces tension and fear during the treatment process

and allows the implant procedure to be performed in a more stable state.

At Haruplant Dental Clinic, we do our best to create a treatment environment

that also considers our patients' peace of mind.

Do not delay dental treatment any longer; through a sleep implant,

experience comfortable care that minimizes pain and anxiety.