Odontophobia

Odontophobia = Fear of Dentistry

As dental health professionals, we understand odontophobia is a real problem for many people. You wouldn’t believe how many of us in the dental field dread having our own teeth worked on! However, we also know how important it is to have routine, preventative dental care. It’s been estimated that up to 15% of Americans avoid seeing the dentist because of anxiety and fear (that’s about 30-40 million of us!).

We cater to cowards!

Main causes of dental anxiety:

Embarrassment—When we’re embarrassed about the state of our teeth, we tend to avoid the dentist until a painful emergency happens. Eventually, those small cavities become toothaches and that old filling you lost years ago now needs a root canal and crown—or worse, it needs to be removed. Dentists have seen it all, and only want to help. No need to be embarrassed with us. Even if it’s been too many years to count, we’ll be happy to see you (even if you’re not so happy to see us;). Try sedation dentistry. We can give you medication, even the night before, to ease your anxiety.

Negative past experiences—Anyone who has had a traumatic past experience, or has ever been in extreme dental pain, is more likely to suffer from dental anxiety and fear. Sedation dentistry is also great for those who have a hard time getting numb. If you’ve ever had dental injections (often called “Novocaine”) and still had nerve pain during dental work, you may tend to avoid the dentist at all costs. Strong gag reflex, general sensitivity, fear of needles, and general anxiety can all be remedied with sedation dentistry.

You’re in good hands…

Dr. Potts has taken extensive training with the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation (DOCS) and has been awarded a fellowship. Watch him explain how sedation dentistry works in this short YouTube video below. If you’ve been putting off much needed dental work because of anxiety, consider a consultation with us. We’ll walk you through each step, and you’ll be in a safe, comfortable, professional environment.

 Dr. Potts is a gentle, caring dentist uses the most advanced materials and procedures available. He practices comfortable, health-centered dentistry, with a strong emphasis on getting to know each patient. In addition technical proficiency, Dr. Potts is a careful listener. He makes sure to understand what you want and will explain beforehand what treatment is best for your individual needs, along with all options available to you.