An extreme fear of the dentist is called odontophobia or dentophobia. If your child gets physically ill, feels extreme dread, or experiences a panic attack at the thought of going to the dentist, he or she may suffer from odontophobia.
Helping your child overcome his or her fear of the dentist is important, as inadequate dental care can cause serious health problems later in life.
As with other phobias, an extreme fear of the dentist is an irrational fear—but a very real one, causing people to avoid the dentist for years or even decades. Avoiding the dentist for this long can lead to gum infections, pain, tooth decay, and broken or unsightly teeth.
If your child suffers from odontophobia, he or she is not alone. Approximately 9% to 15% of Americans don’t visit the dentist due to fear and anxiety.
So what causes this terrifying feeling? Fear of the dentist develops for many reasons:
Here are a few steps you can follow to help ease your child’s fears of the dentist:
Kool Smiles goes above and beyond to make sure your child’s dentist visit is a positive experience. Best of all, Kool Smiles was designed with children in mind, and our staff of dental professionals has experience working with children of all ages.
At Kool Smiles, we look forward to helping your child conquer his or her dental phobia. Give us a call to discuss how we can make your child’s dental visit as enjoyable as possible.
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Sources:
Colgate: http://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/basics/dental-visits/article/what-is-dental-anxiety-and-phobia
WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/dont-fear-the-dentist
Harvard Health: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/dental-fear-our-readers-suggest-coping-techniques
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