{"id":19875,"date":"2023-07-21T14:14:17","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T19:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/?p=19875"},"modified":"2023-07-21T15:25:40","modified_gmt":"2023-07-21T20:25:40","slug":"dental-anxiety-how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-going-to-the-dentist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/dental-anxiety-how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-going-to-the-dentist\/","title":{"rendered":"Dental Anxiety: How to Overcome the Fear of Going to the Dentist"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"19875\" class=\"elementor elementor-19875\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-43481b35 elementor-section-height-min-height elementor-section-items-bottom elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"43481b35\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a3a6a6e\" data-id=\"a3a6a6e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3bce2625 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-title elementor-page-title elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3bce2625\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-title.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Dental Anxiety: How to Overcome the Fear of Going to the Dentist<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-23eb2ec elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"23eb2ec\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-565334b\" data-id=\"565334b\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-80f1023 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"80f1023\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Did you know that a huge number of Americans have never visited the dentist? When it comes to rural counties, about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oralhealthmissouri.org\/images\/962\/document\/4mopsp2march2018mcoh-a-hoffman-et-al_619.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">one in ten adults<\/a> have never had a dental appointment.<\/p><p>According to the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health, a lack of education is one cause. Another common issue, though, is dental anxiety.<\/p><p>If you&#8217;ve been avoiding going to the dentist out of fear, then this guide can help. Read on to learn our top five tips for overcoming and rising above the fear you feel.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-68d2314 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"68d2314\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4><strong>1. Identify Your Triggers<\/strong><\/h4>\nWhen it comes to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/dental-care\/\">dental care<\/a>, there are many things that could trigger your anxiety. It could be the social anxiety of having someone looking into your mouth. It could also be the dental tools your dentist will use.\n\nOther common triggers include:\n<ul>\n \t<li>Fear of pain<\/li>\n \t<li>Anxious about the risks of dental sedation or other procedures<\/li>\n \t<li>Fear of needles<\/li>\n \t<li>Embarrassment<\/li>\n \t<li>Loss of control<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nMany of these triggers are very valid. There are ways to work around them, though. If you can identify what&#8217;s causing your stress, then you can cope with it better.\n\n<h4><strong>2. Find a Dentist You Can Trust<\/strong><\/h4>\nNext, search for a dentist you feel comfortable with, you can trust, and that understands. You may need to try out a few different offices before you find one that feels right for you.\n\nIt might be best to search for dentists who are prepared to handle anxious clients.\n\n<h4><strong>3. Explain Your Dentist Phobia to Your Provider<\/strong><\/h4>\nOnce you know what&#8217;s triggering your anxiety and you have a good dentist, talk about your fear. Your provider should be willing to work with you to find alternatives to avoid your triggers.\n\nIf your trigger is unavoidable, then consider coping mechanisms.\n\nSince\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.valpo.edu\/cgi\/viewcontent.cgi?article=1348&amp;context=jmms\">dental phobia<\/a>\u00a0is a valid diagnosis, you can also consider speaking to a therapist. They&#8217;ll be able to provide even better tips for you to use.\n\nIf you dread the dentist, then consider asking for a therapist to speak to you during your appointment. They can help you work through your fear during your visit.\n\n<h4><strong>4. Know You Are in Control of Your Dental Work<\/strong><\/h4>\nOne thing that can be a huge help is to remember that you are in control of your dental work! Your dentist may recommend procedures, but you&#8217;re never obligated to follow through.\n\nSay no if you feel uncomfortable!\n\n<h4><strong>5. Hold Yourself Accountable<\/strong><\/h4>\nFinally, hold yourself accountable. Don&#8217;t let fear rule your life and lead you to the reality of having bad teeth. Make sure you keep up with your appointments.\n\n<h4><strong>Face Your Dental Anxiety and Improve Your Quality of Life<\/strong><\/h4>\n\nDental anxiety is far more common than you think. You can&#8217;t let your fears cause you to miss out on crucial dental treatment, though.\n<br><br>\nConsider using the steps above to help you tackle your dental phobias once and for all.\n<br><br>\nIf you&#8217;re in Missouri and you&#8217;re hoping to overcome your fear of the dentist, then we hope we can help you. Our providers have experience working with anxious adults and children.\n<br><br>\nFill out\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/contact\/\">our online form<\/a>\u00a0and explain your situation. One of our providers will reach out to you as soon as possible to get started on your better health journey.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b0b42eb elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b0b42eb\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3f38705\" data-id=\"3f38705\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know that a huge number of Americans have never visited the dentist? When it comes to rural counties, about one in ten adults have never had a dental appointment. According to the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health, a lack of education is one cause. Another common issue, though, is dental anxiety. If you&#8217;ve <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/dental-anxiety-how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-going-to-the-dentist\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19887,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_header_footer","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dental"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-02 05:55:35","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19875"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19900,"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19875\/revisions\/19900"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compasshealthnetwork.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}