Intense fears over going to the dentist might stop you from undergoing the cosmetic dental changes you desire. Some people are so frightened of bad experiences, they won’t even go in for six month checkups. This creates a vicious cycle of a higher need for dental work as a result of long term neglect. The more work you need as a result of your dental hiatus, the more your anxiety is bound to build. In some cases, fear of going to the dentist is so crippling, you could even define your feelings as a full blown phobia. Lincolnshire cosmetic dentist, Dr. Brent Engelberg has seen cases of dental anxieties and dental phobias and is well equipped to deal with them.
Dental Anxieties
To put it simply, anxiety is less intense than a phobia. That is not to say that the feelings you experience when you are anxious are not real and upsetting, but they tend to feel more generalized. People with dental anxiety may have had a bad experience with a dentist in the past. Or perhaps it’s an overactive imagination breeding their fears of the unknown. Finding a dentist who takes the time to answer your questions, connect with you, put your fears at ease, and even make you laugh a little is often all you need to get over anxiety. If you require a bit more help than that to face your fears, there are mild sedation options to take the edge off for anxious patients.
Dental Phobias
People with a dental phobia have an extreme, pin-pointed, and intense fear of going to the dentist. If your level of anxiety is so acute that you’d rather allow your teeth to fall out than go to the dentist for a simple checkup, you may have a phobia. Unfortunately, with each passing month, more dental issues – general and aesthetic – are likely to develop and worsen. For a truly phobic patient, sedation options should definitely be discussed with Dr. Engelberg.
Visit your Lincolnshire Cosmetic Dentist
Dr. Engelberg can help you achieve the smile of your dreams. To schedule a consultation, call our 60069 dentist office at 847-259-8030. We are happy to serve patients in Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Skokie, Evanston, Palatine, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows, Northwest Chicago Suburbs, and Northern Chicago Suburbs.
