Fear Not: Be Aware Of Your Dental Phobia

Many people have an abject fear of visiting the dentist. However, it’s not the drills or the feeling of claustrophobia that frighten many people, but rather the gagging (as in the regurgitating spasm) that they experience during most dental visits. Researchers from West Virginia University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln now believe that this factor explains why about 45 percent of American adults have dental phobia.

Whether it is caused by one’s gag reflexes or not, dental phobia is something that needs to be taken seriously. Adults who constantly exhibit this fear are far less likely to visit a dentist in the first place, resulting in poor oral hygiene and health in the long run. This is why renowned dentists in the U.S. resort to a variety of means to counteract this fear, no matter how simple or complex these means are.

The factors that cause dental phobia aren’t exactly clear, but psychologists believe that the fear itself most likely stems from the sense of powerlessness people feel when strapped into the dentist’s chair. This also explains why gag reflexes are quite common among dental phobics, because gagging is one way that the human body attempts to protect itself by rejecting whatever it is that was placed in the mouth. To prevent these negative emotions and reflexes from showing, reliable dentists always make sure that their patients receive as much comfort and assistance as they need.