Approximately 25% of people suffer from anxiety, fear, or a phobia of the dentist. This fear significantly affects oral health, making us more likely to develop cavities and lose teeth. In fact, it has been proven that those who are afraid of the dentist tend not to use prophylaxis and do not adhere well to dental treatment.
It’s estimated that a person with dentophobia will suffer 17.3 days of pain before seeing a dentist. This fear even prevents them from seeking proper information, so many don’t even know that dental sedation exists for adults, which means they won’t experience pain or discomfort during the procedure.
Fear of the dentists often appears in childhood and, if not managed properly, can develop into a phobia that makes any type of dental treatment difficult and causes significant anxiety and discomfort in the sufferer. Therefore, it is essential to detect the early signs of dental anxiety in children and use techniques to alleviate them.
Symptoms of fear of dentists in child
When a child is afraid of the dentist, they often express it with immediate physical reactions, such as crying upon arrival at the dentist’s office. It’s also common for them to be uncooperative or even try to prevent the dentist from examining them.
Fear also triggers neurovegetative reactions such as rapid heart rate, sweating, and labored breathing. Some children adopt other strategies, such as feigning illness before the appointment. Others may become truly ill due to somatizing their anxiety and worry.
What causes fear of dentists in children?
Children can develop a fear of the dentist for a variety of reasons, although there is a strong relationship between dental anxiety and negative dental experiences. Worst of all, the earlier this negative association occurs, the more intense the fear will be, with the period before the age of 5 being particularly sensitive. In this case, the child establishes a connection between the painful or uncomfortable dental experience and anxiety, which will cause them to feel fear and worry about even the idea of visiting the dentist.
However, direct negative experiences are not the only causes of dental fear. Parents can also transmit dental anxiety. A correlation has been found between adults’ and children’s fear of the dentist, which is likely due to parents not taking their children to the dentist regularly or transmitting this anxiety to them through small signals that children pick up on and decode as threatening.
For particularly sensitive children, the dentist’s experience also plays a role. There’s no doubt that the chair, the dental sounds, and the uncomfortable sensations aren’t always pleasant, so it’s essential that the pediatric dentist be experienced and know how to treat children, so they feel more comfortable and relaxed.
In fact, a study conducted at the University of Seville delved into people’s main fears when visiting the dentist and found that they revolved around the consequences of treatment due to malpractice and the fear of receiving abrupt or unpleasant treatment.
What can parents do to prevent dentophobia in their children?
– Set an example. If you bring your child to the dentist’s office while the dentist performs your checkup, they’ll become familiar with the environment and the instruments. Your behavior will also serve as an example, helping them understand that there’s nothing to fear. In fact, in new situations, young children look to their parents for clues about how they should react.
– Regular visits. Another strategy to prevent dental fear is to make your child feel increasingly comfortable through regular visits. This will also make it easier to resolve any problems that arise and avoid more complex dental treatments, such as extractions, which are often more painful and generate a negative association.
– Avoid negative comments. Sometimes parents don’t realize it, but they resort to the dentist as a punishment, saying things like, “Don’t eat any more sweets or you’ll have to go to the dentist,” or “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt.” Instead, it’s better to use more positive terms, such as, “The dentist will check your teeth. I know you’ll behave, and then we can go to that park you love to play.”
– Let them come in alone. Parents are a source of security and reference for children, so they can help ease anxiety in the waiting room. However, unless the child is very young, it’s ideal for them to come into the appointment alone, as most children behave differently when their parents are present, almost always worse.
– Choose a good pediatric dentist. Choosing a pediatric dentist is essential for ensuring children have a good experience at the clinic. A good pediatric dentist will master behavior management techniques that help control negative emotions related to fear and anxiety, allowing them to calm their child.
How do dentists manage children’s behavior?
Some of the child behavior management techniques dentists use to prevent children from developing a phobia. These techniques not only aim to calm children but also increase their sense of self-control and create a pleasant atmosphere.
1. Tell – show – do. The dentist explains to the child what he or she is going to do, showing them the instruments or a model, and imitating some of the necessary actions. It is important that the dentist uses words the child can understand so that the procedure truly alleviates fears and does not end up generating new fears and anxieties. In fact, it is essential that the explanation be brief, otherwise it could cause more anxiety. The dentist should not lie, as this would lose the child’s confidence, but it is also not necessary to provide more information than necessary. The dentist will also explain how the child should behave and use praise to reinforce good behavior.
2. Distraction. This is a very useful technique for diverting a child’s attention from any discomfort they may experience during the procedure. By drawing their attention and stimulating their imagination, they can distract themselves from the dental procedure. This not only reduces discomfort and anxiety about what is happening, but also lessens worries about the possibility of something unpleasant happening.
3. Latent inhibition. This involves planning dental treatment so that the dentist begins with the simplest procedures, thus systematically desensitizing the child. Therefore, the first consultations will consist of clinical evaluation, dietary and hygiene guidance, prophylaxis, and non-curative procedures. It has been shown that not performing any prior invasive interventions helps children become familiar with the dentist, enabling them to better handle future, more invasive consultations aimed at curing or solving a problem.
4. Voice control. A good pediatric dentist should also provide supportive psychological tools, such as voice control. This technique focuses on modulating the tone, pace, and volume of the voice to influence the child and direct their behavior, making them more cooperative.
5. Time-out. This involves temporarily suspending treatment within the same appointment or postponing it to another time, so that the child can calm down and be more cooperative. Pediatric dentists only resort to this option in very specific situations where there is a high level of emotional development and full understanding and cooperation on the part of the parents.
References:
Gao, X. et. Al. (2013) Dental Fear and Anxiety in Children and Adolescents: Qualitative Study Using YouTube. J Med Internet Res ; 15(2): e29.
Márquez, JA et. al. (2004) Why are people afraid of the dentist? RCOE ; 9(2):165-174.
Locker, D. et. Al. (1996) Negative dental experiences and their relationship to dental anxiety. Community Dent Oral Epidemio l; 13(2):86-92.
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