How to stop being afraid of the dentist or dental treatment? One of the Most common reasons for neglecting dental problems, after the cost of dental treatment, is fear of the dentist or dental treatment. In 10+ years of my dental practice, I have personally come across so many patients who have waited till to the point of no return (extreme unbearable pain or discomfort), to actually visit a dentist only because they are afraid. They are afraid of the pain during the procedure, the pain after the procedure, the sound or vibrations of the instrument, sometimes just the thought of putting instruments in the mouth. To understand how we can overcome these, we first need to understand the source. These fears in my opinion are mainly due to 3 reasons, 1st being fear of unknown, 2nd it's due to a bad past experience, 3rd is simply due to listening to someone else's bad experience. If it's the due to due to past bad experience or someone else's experience, you simply need to move on, you need to understand that the technology today is more advanced, things are not the same as they were 10 years back. The anesthesia procedures are also way better, the anesthetic agents are more powerful than earlier, the technology has made procedures like root canals, extractions, even surgeries more easier, less pain causing, less invasive resulting in less pain and swelling after procedures, needing less time, better antibiotics to control infection, better pain killers available for fater and longer relief. You also need to understand that the situation or case today may not be same as last time. All you need is a dentist with better expertise in that required treatment and with better technology and equipments. You also need to understand the more you wait, situation will worsen over time and cause more problems. I still remember a patient of mine, Dhrumin, young guy, complaining of chipped tooth, we suggested him a root canal. He did not turn up again, as there was no pain at that moment, later I suddenly got a call from him one night saying the pain was unbearable even after taking medicines and he couldn't sleep for almost 3 nights. I prescibed him an antibiotic and strong painkiller to pass through the night and called him early morning next day. When he visited next morning, inasked him why did he delay it so much, the answer was much expected, FEAR. I asked him when did the pain start, he said it's since a week, and in that 1 week he had tried all possible home remedies like keeping a clove, using alum, turmeric water rinses, etc. but in last 3 days it became a nightmare. When we took an xray, situation had now become worse, what could have been solved in one root canal, now had increased to an infection causing a cyst in the bone and also involved 2 more teeth. We did solve his problem and relieved him from pain and infection with a surgery and root canals and finally strengthened the teeth with caps, but he learnt a lesson of lifetime as not getting over the pain had cost him not just money but also in terms of the discomfort he had to suffer. Also he realised that even with a bigger problem this time, procedure and discomfort after the procedure was not as bad as his bad experience in childhood which he had almost 15-20years ago. Now he comes for a check up every 6 months and takes care of any dental issues when they are minor. The more difficult part is to take control over fear of unknown, meaning what will the dentist do inside the mouth, how will he work, what material will he use, will something happen to my tongue, will I get a cut anywhere when he is working, will his instrument slip, will he drill more, will i have a swelling, etc. The first and foremost thing is to trust your dentist thoroughly, you need to believe in his diagnosis, expertise, treatment. What if you have been to him for the first time without any reference, how will you get the trust. In the age of digital media there are enough ways to find that out, you can look through his profile, his degrees, his reviews and gain enough initial trust. Rest is the skill of the dentist to allay your fears. The way he comforts you, talk to you, explains the problem. At our clinics in thane and mulund our entire team will make sure that you are comfortable before, during and after the procedures. There is some music always playing in the background, it is also a part of trying to divert your mind and relaxing you, it's called audio-analgesia. If we feel you are stressed we normally try to keep appointments early morning as that is the time our mind and body is most relaxed. Such small things help alot in keeping you comfortable. The most important thing is do not OVERTHINK, take a decision and leave it to your dentist, no good dentist would want to keep their patients in pain. Everyone wants to do a good job and wants sound sleep for themselves and their patients. So, let the fear not hold you back from taking a step forward towards better oral health. Book an appointment today and see your dentist and get rid of all your dental problems to smile confidently, eat comfortably and enjoy your food. Cheers!