Dental anxiety and phobias
Help and information if you or a family member feels worried about visiting the dentist
Around 44% of adults have a fear of the dentist1
According to research, 44%1 of adults have a fear of the dentist, and a further 76%1 admit to putting off going to the dentist entirely. So, if it’s something that affects you, you’re not alone. Even if you don’t mind the dentist, it’s likely you’ll have a family member who does struggle with dental anxiety.
Whether you need some guidance for yourself, or want to support a family member, we’re here to help. Being a nervous patient shouldn’t get in the way of your dental health, and our dentists are experienced in treating nervous patients.
What’s more, if you tell your dentist that you’re nervous, they can prepare and make sure your visit is as stress-free as possible – from the moment you step through the door to the moment you leave.
Around 25%2 of the UK population haven’t been back to the dentist since the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s never too late to improve your oral health, even if you’ve avoided seeing the dentist for years.
Transcript
Who are you and what do you do?
Hello, my name is Amy Polly.
I am a mindfulness teacher, an international speaker,
and a neurodiversity advocate.
Where does dental anxiety come from?
So I'm here to have the conversation with you
to support you with those feelings of anxiety.
But if you want to learn more about dental anxiety,
you can click on the link
and hear the conversation with the Bupa dental expert.
What is mindfulness?
So, mindfulness, if you look it up in the dictionary, says,
paying attention to the present moment with no judgement .
But I like to simplify it even further to say
that mindfulness simply means awareness or attention.
We all have the ability to choose where to put our attention
or our awareness, but often we don't choose where to put it.
We're very distracted.
So mindfulness is the practise of training our brain
to consciously choose where we're putting our awareness,
where we're putting our attention.
Can mindfulness help with dental anxiety?
Mindfulness can be really useful for dental anxiety.
It can be useful for any type of anxiety or nervousness.
It absolutely can help to rewire your brain, especially
for those things that might induce anxious feelings.
How can mindfulness help a nervous/anxious dental patient?
So there's lots of ways that mindfulness might help.
It could be from the point that you even need
to call the dentist all the way
to actually being in the dentist's chair.
And the reason that mindfulness can really help is
because it can help you to be aware of what you are thinking
and those thoughts that might be
impacting how you are feeling.
And then we can use some
of our mindfulness techniques like breathing and meditation
and noticing our body to take us out of that thinking,
bring us to the moment, and to alleviate some of that stress
and that anxious feeling.
Why is mindfulness helpful with anxiety?
Okay, so the reason that mindfulness can be really useful
for anxiety is this.
Think about your mind when it goes
off and wonders to the past.
Sometimes it wonders to the future,
but when we're practising mindfulness,
we're very much in the here and now.
Anxious thoughts are in the future.
They are fears that we have about
something that might happen.
That hasn't happened yet.
That's what anxiety is,
and mindfulness keeps bringing us back to the present moment
so that we're able to actually think about
what is happening right here, right now,
rather than worrying about the future.
What technique can I use if I'm nervous about calling up for an appointment?
So, there's things we can do even
before we're calling up for our dentist appointment.
And one of the things that can really help is
breathing techniques.
So we really want to be able to bring ourselves
to the moment and calm down our nervous system.
So if we elongate our out breath slightly,
that activates our parasympathetic nervous system,
which is our rest and digest.
And that can really help to calm you down
and alleviate some of that nervous or anxious feeling.
So one of the breathing techniques I like
to use is breathing in for four, hold
for four and out for six.
And do this a few times before you make the phone call.
So it brings you to the moment,
you alleviate some of those feelings.
Some of those thoughts will float away,
and then you can make the phone call.
What technique can I use if I'm nervous when I'm on the way to an appointment?
So a fantastic technique when you're on the way
to an appointment or anywhere that might be causing you
to feel a bit nervous
or anxious, is to actually notice things
that are going on around you.
So you can do this when you're driving,
when you're on the train, or when you're walking,
and actually label the things that you can see.
Label the things that you can hear, label the things
that you can smell.
By doing this, you take yourself out
of your chattering mind, bring yourself to the moment,
and shift that focus, shift that energy.
So give that a try when you're on the way
to your appointment and see how it might just calm you down
and bring you to the moment.
What technique can I use if I'm nervous when I'm in the waiting room before an appointment?
Now thinking about when we're in the waiting room
before an appointment, something
that might really help is a visualisation,
because the waiting room might not feel like a very
safe place to you.
Although you are safe and all is well.
It might be helpful to visualise somewhere
where you feel safe and you feel relaxed.
That might be somewhere that you go with friends.
It might be your home.
It might be your favourite place to have dinner.
It might be your favourite holiday destination.
It does not matter where it is,
but you can just take a few moments
to really visualise being there, visualise
what it feels like to be there,
and just allow yourself to just calm down,
feel what it feels like to relax in a place
where you feel safe, and take a few deep breaths.
What technique can I use if I'm nervous when I'm in the dentist chair?
Now we're thinking about being in the dentist chair,
and I understand what it's like to feel anxious
or nervous in certain situations.
And it might not be appropriate to focus on your breathing
because that might feel a little bit uncomfortable,
or you might not be able to do
that if somebody is examining your teeth.
So what I want you to do is to focus on your body
instead, think about what it feels like to wiggle your toes,
to feel the weight of your feet in the moment,
to really feel the weight of your body,
to relax your shoulders, and to just soften your face.
And by bringing your awareness
and your attention to your body, it just helps
to calm you down.
Take away all of that thinking
and be really present in the moment
and know that you are safe and all is well.
Do you have an example of where you have used these techniques successfully?
So I have actually used these techniques with my mum,
who does really struggle with going to the dentist.
She gets very anxious and very nervous,
and she knows all about mindfulness.
And so we used some of these techniques specifically for her
and we did that for when she had to make the phone call.
We did that on the day of the appointment,
and she even used it when she was sat in the dentist chair,
and I'm glad to say it really helped her,
and she has been back to the dentist again.
Do these techniques work on both adults and kids?
So these techniques are brilliant for adults and children.
You just have to maybe just adapt them slightly.
But one of the wonderful things about kids is they
don't really question why.
So if I think about my five-year-old,
I started teaching him breathing techniques when he was very
small and he never asked me why.
I just said to him that it would make him feel a little bit
better when he was feeling worried about something
or he had some pain, or he was agitated,
and now it comes really naturally to him.
So just think about doing it together rather than
getting them to do it on their own.
It helps you as well, and don't over explain it.
Just go in with something simple like a breathing technique,
noticing your body or imagining being somewhere
that makes you feel happy and safe.
Is there only one way to do mindfulness?
So there are lots of different ways
to practise mindfulness.
Mindfulness isn't just meditation.
Mindfulness is the umbrella term that we give to anything
where you are consciously choosing to be aware,
and you are very present with that thing that you're doing.
So it could be a breathing meditation,
it could be a body scan meditation.
It could be going running, it could be yoga,
it could be even eating your favourite meal
or brushing your teeth.
It's all about how you choose to focus on the thing
that you are doing.
What is the science behind mindfulness?
The science behind mindfulness, I love this bit.
If mindfulness is about paying attention.
If mindfulness is about choosing where we put our awareness,
we know that when we do that, our brain doesn't know
what we're paying attention to.
All our brain knows is
that we are engaging our prefrontal cortex.
So that's the rational part of our brain.
And when we're engage in the rational part of our brain
during something like a mindfulness practise
or a meditation, it then becomes easier for us to use
that part of our brain when we need it.
And that means that we can recognise when we're having
thoughts that aren't very useful to us,
that might be causing us
to have some anxiety or nervousness.
So it's all about having an awareness of
what we're doing in the moment, but also
of what our mind is doing.
And the science absolutely backs this up
because it shows mindfulness
and meditation activates different parts of your brain
and creates new connections.
How do you know if mindfulness is helping?
So when we start practising mindfulness,
often we don't notice a difference straight away.
It's just one of those things like if you were going
to the gym and you started lifting weights,
you wouldn't notice a change immediately.
But the more that you practise, the easier it becomes
and then you'll start to notice things such as noticing
that you are thinking when you are thinking,
which is a really powerful tool when it comes
to managing our anxiety.
Actually having the ability to be aware of your thoughts
as you are having them means
that you can change your thoughts as you are having them.
Techniques to ease dental anxiety
Need some extra help with easing your anxiety? We have a range of options to help make your dental visits calmer and more relaxing. These include:
Dental sedation to help you feel at ease during treatment
Relaxation techniques, including music, tours of the practice and introductions to the team
Numbing the area of your mouth where treatment is needed
Desensitisation to the noise of the drill (behaviour modification)
Referral to a clinical psychologist for hypnotherapy treatment
Local anaesthetic for most treatments. You might need a general anaesthetic for some treatments.
More information on being sedated at the dentist
Causes of dental anxiety, and how we can help
Dental anxiety can be caused by a number of different reasons. Here are some common causes and how we can help you overcome them.
Previous experiences
If you've had a bad dental experience, it doesn’t need to stop you from caring for your smile.
Your dentist will help you feel at ease. They see all types of patients, so you know you're in safe hands.
Fear of the unknown
Receiving treatment without knowing what's happening may seem off-putting.
Your dentist can explain what they’re doing at each stage, or give you a signal if you want them to stop and take a break during treatment.
Fear of pain
It’s easy to let fear of pain during dental treatment put you off treatment, but your dentist can take necessary steps. They can give you a local anaesthetic, to relieve any pain. They can also offer you techniques to help you feel relaxed, such as sedation.
Phobia of needles
If you don’t like needles, let your dentist know before your treatment.
They can use other methods, like numbing gels, to minimise discomfort during the injection.
Confidence in your smile
If you haven’t visited the dentist in a while, even years, you may feel self-conscious or embarrassed about your smile.
At Bupa Dental Care, we're here to support you and ensure you always feel at ease, we're not here to judge.
The cost of treatment
Money worries can cause unwanted stress and might result in you ignoring dental pain or discomfort.
Speak to your dentist about options, and we can find a payment plan to suit you.
Find your nearest dental practice
Search over 350 private and NHS dentists and book an appointment that suits you. Online booking now available.
Help with other dental worries
Helping children overcome fears of the dentist
Find out why children are scared of the dentist, and what you can do to help them overcome their fears.
Being sedated at the dentist
Information about sedation types and techniques that could help with a visit to a dental clinic.
Worried about the dentist?
If you’re worried about making a visit to your dentist, you’re not alone. Find the answers to the questions you might have before you book.
How Bupa can help you and your family
Get in touch
If you’re nervous about seeing the dentist, please contact your local Bupa Dental Care practice.
You can let the staff know about your concerns and they'll talk you through your options.
Bupa Smile Plan
Bupa Smile Plan provides cover for routine dental care. Spread the cost of check-ups and hygiene appointments across 12 monthly payments.
Bupa Smile Plan
Bupa Dental Care treatments
Find out more about dental treatment and how we can help you maintain your oral health.
Bupa Dental Care treatments
1. Research conducted by Censuswide among 2,000 adults in the UK. The data was collected between 15th May 2024 and 18th May 2024.
2. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmhealth/964/report.html, July 2023
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