What does a person with dentophobia fear?
What does a person with dentophobia fear?
Someone with dentophobia may be afraid of:
- Anesthetic: People usually aren’t fearful of getting an anesthetic (numbing drug), but instead, fear the anesthetic not working. Some people fear side effects of the anesthetic, such as temporary numbness of their lips.
- Blood: Some people have a fear of blood (hemophobia). They may feel afraid or panicky about the possibility or actual presence of even minor bleeding that can happen during a dental procedure.
- Choking: People may fear gagging or choking when the dentist numbs their mouth. They may fear not being able to breathe or swallow.
- The dentist: People may associate negative feelings with their dentist. These feelings may be worse if they’ve had a bad experience with a dentist in the past.
- Feeling pain: Dental procedures fairly often involve a small amount of pain. And sometimes, the procedure or recovery does hurt. People who’re highly sensitive to pain may be more fearful of feeling discomfort during their dental treatment or as a result of it.
- Needles: People afraid of needles may fear the injections dentists use during dental procedures.
- Noise: Someone may fear the noise made by drills and dental instruments used by the dentist or dental hygienist.
- Smells: People may become anxious due to how the dentist’s office smells or the specific aromas that arise during dental treatment.