No one looks forward to going to the dentist. For some people, though, a fear of dentists keeps them from adequate dental care. If you fall into this category, you can overcome your fear of the dentist with hypnosis. Hypnosis can help you stay calm throughout your appointments. You’ll conquer your fear and keep your teeth healthy.
Why People Fear Dentists
According to Harvard Health, dental fear is common. About 13% to 24% of people around the world fear going to the dentist. Many of those people fear going to the dentist so much, that they avoid the dentist until a toothache or infection is no longer bearable.
A fear of the dentist stems from anxiety, and that anxiety can come from a variety of places. The sounds in a dental office, like the grinding and the suction, can make people feel uneasy. Many people may be uncomfortable with the feel of scraping their teeth or feel claustrophobia in a dental chair. Others may have a fear of needles or people with masks. For many people, it’s a combination of things. A fear of the dentist, wherever it starts, is real and can impact a person’s health.
How Do You Know You Have a Fear of the Dentist?
Everyone is afraid of the dentist, to some degree. Although, if you experience the following whenever you think of going to the dentist, then you may have a problem.
- Fast heart rate
- Sweating
- Feeling faint
- Overwhelming feeling of doom or panic
- Desire to leave immediately
- Crying
- Gagging
People who fear routinely miss dental appointments or don’t go at all. The mouth is vital to the body’s health and missing dental appointments can have long term effects. Finding a way to overcome a fear of the dentist is essential.
How to Overcome Your Fear of the Dentist with Hypnosis
If you’re afraid of the dentist, hypnosis may be what can help you conquer your fear. Hypnosis gets to the source of your anxiety by targeting your subconscious.
The subconscious is where most of our emotions and behaviors are started. By automatically triggering our response to our environment, the subconscious saves us a lot of time processing and deciding what we should do. In most cases, the subconscious works well. In rare cases, though, the subconscious can overreact, causing unnecessary fear. One great example is a fear of the dentist.
Getting into the Subconscious
During hypnosis, a certified hypnotist can place you in a very relaxed state. Although you’re awake and alert in this state, your mind will be much more open to suggestions.
It’s during this time that a hypnotist can help you review your memories, finding out what causes your fear is the dentist. If a past event or memory is triggering your fear, a hypnotist can help you reframe that memory and make it less frightening.
A hypnotist can also discover what parts of a dental visit sparks your fear. Are you afraid you can’t control salivation? Are you anxious about how you’ll manage pain? Hypnosis can program your mind to feel less anxiety about whatever frightens you about the dentist. It can also help you mange pain, eliminate gagging, and control slaivation.
The most important aspect of hypnosis is that it can train your mind to handle stress differently. Instead of becoming overly terrified of the dentist, hypnosis can program your mind to remain calm. Through visualization and imagery, hypnosis can give you the power to remain calm throughout your dental appointments.
Your adult teeth are the only ones you will ever have for the rest of your life. They make food enjoyable and keep your body strong. Take care of them by helping overcome your fear of the dentist with hypnosis.