Life

Understanding phobia is key to overcoming it

Ask the dentist

Dentist Lucy Stock of Gentle Dental Care in Belfast discussed the age-old but irrational fear that she and her colleagues can induce

IF YOU experience a pounding heart, trembling limbs, sweating or a churning-stomach feeling just at the mere thought of visiting the dentist you may be among the 8 per cent of people in Britain and Northern Ireland who completely avoid going to the dentist due to their dental phobia.

A higher percentage, perhaps 20 per cent, experiences enough anxiety that they will go to the dentist only when absolutely necessary.

Some people describe their feelings of dental phobia as overwhelming anxiety or panic; they may experience an intense feeling of the need to escape or even fear they're going to pass out.

The experience is so nerve-racking that many dental phobics go to great lengths to avoid fixing their teeth and alter their life to hide the deteriorating condition of their teeth - inconveniencing themselves and sometimes taking different paths through life.

For example, phobics might turn down a lucrative job offer to avoid conversations with colleagues, turn down romantic propositions or stop eating out. Understanding your phobia is the first step to overcoming it. It's important to know that phobias are common and don't always need to have a rational basis. They can stem from childhood or start when you're an adult.

Having a phobia doesn't mean you're crazy. You may be the most confident person in all other areas of your life but be unable to deal with a dental phobia alone. It also helps to know that phobias are highly treatable so you can overcome your anxiety and fear, no matter how out of control it feels.

It's only natural to want to avoid the thing you fear. But when it comes to conquering phobias, facing your fears is the key.

While avoidance may make you feel better in the short-term, it prevents you from learning that your phobia may not be as frightening or overwhelming as you think.

You never get the chance to learn how to cope with your fears and experience control over the situation.

As a result, the phobia becomes increasingly scarier and more daunting in your mind. Those who have never suffered from a phobia may have a hard time understanding the depths of terror that a phobia can cause.

Finding a dental team that have experience dealing with people with dental phobias is the key to guide you through the different steps that will help conquer the fear.