Phobia can be termed as a medical condition in which the patient develops unnecessary fear about a place, object, situation, or even an animal. The main reason behind the same is an unrealistic sense of danger about something. In severe cases, the affected individual can go to any extent to avoid the activity that triggers phobia, and this causes a lot of stress.
The term dental phobia is self-explanatory. Some people develop unnecessary fear about certain aspects of dentistry. Due to their concern regarding injections, drills, pain caused during the dental procedures, or any other factor, they merely avoid visiting their dentist and end up with poor oral health. Even sedation does not prove to be helpful. This is where talk therapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) comes into the picture.
An Effective Alternative To Sedatives
Research work released by the King’s College in London back in November 2015 proved that talk therapy is the best long-term solution for dental phobia.
As a part of the study, 130 patients with dental phobia were selected, and 99 individuals were offered CBT sessions at the college’s dental clinic. The concerned research was conducted between January 2009 and May 2013. After completion of their course, the persons were asked to complete their dental procedures. Remarkably, only 6 percent of the participants requested the dentist for sedation, while 79 percent of them did not ask for the same before opting for a dental procedure. Their fear of the dentist was drastically reduced.
Besides the British Dental Journal, the findings of this study were also published by the BBC in the UK and the Washington Post in the US.
How Does It Work?
Therapists interact with patients and understand the reasons behind the anxiety. The stages of therapy are designed according to the fear factors. As a part of treatment, patients are trained to perform relaxation exercises, including cognitive restructuring, graded exposure, progressive muscle relaxation, and breathing training. During the third week of the therapy, patients are exposed to dental equipment like injections, drills, etc. to control the phobia linked to the same. Repeated exposure to these items helps in removing the fear from the patient’s mind slowly. At a later stage, patients are also shown videos of various dental procedures to reduce anxiety. Such treatment works for most patients, and they have something positive to relate to when they visit their dentist for treatment.
Fortunately, there are some Roswell Dentists like those at TruCare who are pro in communicating with patients and in guiding them out of their fear. Patient-friendly, receptive dentists can handle such patients with ease without referring them to psychologists for treatment.
Besides dental phobia, talking therapy is also recommended for patients suffering from addiction to banned substances, eating disorders, anxiety, and depression.
If you are looking for a Roswell Dental Care expert with ample experience in treating patients with dental phobia, you should get in touch with TruCare Dentistry.