Afraid of the Dentist?

By John Vasko

For many people, going to the dentist is a dreadful task

“No matter what I went to the dentist for, whether it was for a regular cleaning or because I needed a filling, I always ended up bleeding or in pain,” Marissa Brodbeck, a senior at Stonehill College, said. Brodbeck is one of a number of Americans who avoids the dentist.

According to Phobia-Help.com, more then 50 percent of Americans suffer from dental phobia and 9 to 15 percent avoid getting dental treatment because their fear is so severe.

Jim Deluke, a dentist in the greater New York area said, the number one reason people fear the dentist is because of a bad childhood experience in the dental chair.

Older brothers and sisters, who love to terrorize their younger siblings, can perpetuate this problem he said. Deluke said some children come in to the office after hearing stories from siblings that the dentist is going to give them a needle or drill their tooth.

In other cases, however, having an older brother or sister can be an asset.

Deluke often has the older sibling come in first. “It makes the older brother feel important and eliminates fear in the younger child who likes to model his older sibling,” he said.

Many dentists are also using more local anesthesia to reduce slight pain during routine procedures.

“The techniques for administering novocaine are so much better than they were years ago. If injections are given slowly and with topical anesthetic first, they can be given almost painlessly,” Deluke said.

For others it’s not the slight pain that scares them, it’s the sound of the drill.

“The sound terrifies me, and to this day it always reminds me of the sound of nails scratching against a chalkboard,” said Senior Stonehill student Kyle Brown of Yarmouth, Mass.

To curb this problem, some dentists are giving their patients headphones to wear to drown out the sounds of the drill.

These new practices are being done to send more people to the dentist and save their teeth.

According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, getting an early start in daily dental hygiene is critical. Good oral hygiene can prevent tooth decay and other dental problems as they age. Pediatric dentists also teach children what foods contain lots of sugar and why it is harmful to their teeth, so eliminating the fears of the dentist at an early age are key.

Nick Mavroides of Yarmouth, Mass. says he isn’t afraid of the dentist. “It’s uncomfortable sometimes but when I leave the chair I feel more confident in my smile and that makes me more confident in myself.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, they are just taking care of your teeth,” said Kevin Smith from Rocky Point, N.Y. Smith has had the same dentist for his entire life and explains that because of this they have developed a level of trust.

James Dimino from Rocky Point, N.Y. said he is trying to conquer his fear of going to the dentist.

“Every time I go to the dentist I make sure I have my iPod and a magazine which help me draw focus away from what the doctor is doing.”