Nowadays, many people cannot have dental treatment because they are afraid, even if their reasons are different, and even if they start, they leave it unfinished. When this is the case, an unhealthy mouth, bad odor and various heart diseases are inevitable for that person.
The person's past experiences with the dentist greatly affect this fear. Fear of the dentist usually occurs after the person experiences a painful treatment. In addition, it is known that the dentist's approach to the person who comes for treatment also affects the fear of treatment. Apart from the person's own experiences causing this fear, the negative experiences he indirectly hears from or observes from someone else will also expose the person to this negative learning. Fear of the dentist does not develop only due to the dentist, painful treatment, or learned or indirect experiences. The person may also be negatively affected by white coats, the smell of medicine, or places where medical practices occur. The person may also be afraid that they are working with an organ that they cannot observe during the treatment, that they do not know what many tools do and cannot control them.
Misinformation heard from parents, phobia of doctors and injections, ignorance, problems encountered in the dentist's office. Some devices that are loud, that the child has not seen before and that he thinks could harm himself, and insecurity are among the main reasons for the fear of dentists in children. When the dentist is mentioned, thoughts that may create unpleasant associations such as "pulling teeth" often come to mind, which also feeds fear. This association can also reinforce the fear in the child. That's why to little children; Precautions such as having someone the child trusts with support, relieving the child with medication beforehand, and providing gradual treatment in appropriate cases may be useful. Children over the age of 6 are relatively better able to cope with pain and fear, but they experience pain and anxiety internally. It would be appropriate to inform these children in advance about the procedures to be performed.
Fear of the dentist's chair also has a social learning dimension. Child; incorporate the reactions of parents, friends, and close circle into your brain. This fear is learned through conditioning. In other words, the fear of the dentist's chair is also one of the fears learned through social learning in our society, such as "fear of mathematics, fear of needles, fear of the police, fear of school" etc.
Family elders also have a responsibility to overcome the fear of the dentist. In order for the child to overcome his/her fear, the child should be brought to the dentist visit when there is no problem and the child gets to know the environment. It has been observed that children of families who can develop good relationships with dentists are more courageous about their dental and oral health. Additionally, the information the family gives to the child during this period is also important. In other words, the parents of the family should be knowledgeable about oral and dental health and dental services and give this information to the children correctly. Generally, if the parents have a fear of the dentist, which comes from childhood, they explain this fear in an exaggerated way in front of the child and say things like 'my tooth hurt like this when it was pulled out, it smelled very bad, it bled a lot, the injection hurt a lot' creates a fear of the dentist in the child.
Dental office equipment, complete numbness provided to the patient, technical equipment in the treatment of the patient, such as advanced devices operating at much faster speeds, x-ray examinations, intraoral cameras, were technical equipment that did not exist in the past. Services that were previously performed with difficulties and impossibilities are another reason for fear. Fear of dentist practices causes many patients not to undergo treatment.
Individuals postpone their dental treatments for a long time because of this fear. As a result, a cavity that could be saved with a small filling procedure is postponed due to the fear of the dentist, and this causes irreparable material and moral damage in the future.
Duties of the Family in Children with Dentist Fear
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Avoid using words such as “needle, pain, tooth extraction”. Do not say negative things to your child, such as "If you don't behave, they will give you an injection." Even if the child is told "no needles", the word "needle" will be enough to be afraid.
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The procedure to be done to your child is "checking the teeth, counting the teeth, washing the teeth." Say it will happen. Even before coming to the dentist, play the "dentistry game" by checking your child's teeth at home and letting him check yours.
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Try not to reflect your own concerns on your child and try to stay calm. Even if you are hesitant about going to the dentist, do not express this in front of your child.
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Avoid giving your child detailed information about the procedures to be performed. The fact that the information given by the parents and the dentist is different or the same issue is conveyed in different ways may cause the child's trust to decrease. Therefore, leave it to the dentist to explain the procedures in a way that the child can understand.
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A child with advanced tooth decay is aware of this situation and thinks that a difficult treatment will begin when he goes to the dentist. feels very anxious. By taking care of your child's dental care together, you can detect any decay before it progresses and enable easier precautions to be taken.
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Children with a fear of dentists; Coming to the appointment with a friend who has no fear of dentists and who has had previous treatments easily can have a positive effect.
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Creating an activity program that the child will enjoy after the appointment, encouraging him or her during the examination or treatment. It can be used to encourage and motivate.
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Try to cooperate with the dentist during the examination and treatment, considering that especially young children may lose their attention quickly and cannot sit in the dentist's chair for a long time like adults.
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Pediatric dentists find it appropriate to start short-term procedures for a child who is anxious and comes to the dentist for the first time, in order to get the child used to the tools used and to establish trust and communication. However, in emergency cases, the order of treatment may change.
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Congratulate your child when the procedure is completed, even if it is just an examination. After treatment, motivating documents such as a 'diploma of courage' may be given to the child. Rather than giving the child a gift before treatment and forcing the child to undergo the procedure; Afterwards, for congratulations, It would be better to give gifts.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH FEAR OF THE DENTIST
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First of all, make you feel comfortable. You should choose a friendly and caring dentist who makes you feel safe and secure.
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If you tell your dentist about your fears before the treatment begins and specify exactly what you are afraid of, your dentist will help you overcome your fear.
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Ask your dentist to explain the entire procedure step by step before the treatment begins.
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If you want to take a break during the treatment for any reason, you can do so before the treatment begins. You can determine it with a sign between you and your dentist.
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Try to breathe deeply, relax and get away from momentary stress. It will be beneficial for you to make your appointments in the morning, before the stress and fatigue of the day accumulate.
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Before having the procedure, getting to know and examine the clinic, asking questions to the employees, and observing the hygiene, personnel and equipment will put you at ease. .
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Start with the simplest ones. You do not have to have all the treatments done at once, the session can be ended with just one cleaning at the first time.
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Do not forget that advanced techniques such as general anesthesia and sedation can always be an alternative for individuals with extreme fear.
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Go for dentist check-ups regularly, even if you have no problems. In this way, you can avoid large transactions and get used to the environment more easily.
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