Fear of the Dentist (dentophobia or odontophobia) is a normal emotional reaction common among people of all ages. It is more frequent in females than in males. It is usually a result of lack of control, embarrassment, past negative experiences, or modeling, but family history might also be a reason.
Fear of the dentist is irrational, still, people with it cannot do much about it. There are different degrees of dentophobia.
Dentophobia can cause a person to avoid dental visits, which leads to worse dental and gum disease. Consequently, more complicated and painful procedures are indicated.
Luckily, dental clinics’ staff nowadays can provide many aids that can help with dental fear. Some of them are premedication, sedation, and local or full anesthesia.
Since oral health is one of the most important aspects of overall health, fear of the dentist should not impede better health.