How Anxiety in Dental Patients Impacts Dentists

Dentophobia—a.k.a, fear of the dentist. It’s a very real—and very valid—fear that affects about 36% of people in the United States. While I may be a dentist, I also understand what it’s like to be the one in the dental chair, which has helped me develop profound empathy for those who suffer from terrible anxiety each and every time they enter the dentist’s office. Know, then, that I’m not here to judge you, and you have my full support!

In fact, it’s expressly because I support you that I feel there’s something you need to know—which is that anxiety in dental patients can profoundly impact dentists. This is a fact that I don’t think many patients realize, nor do many dentists talk about. Yet it’s true all the same, and understanding exactly how your anxiety can affect your treatment outcomes—as well as what you can do to contribute to a more calming environment for yourself and your dentist—will make your experience at the dentist’s office much less stressful… and dare I say enjoyable!

So, let’s get into it.

Anxiety in Dental Patients and How it Impacts Dentists

Imagine that you sit down in the dental chair for your root canal and notice that your dentist is visibly anxious. Their brow is furrowed, their hands are a little shaky, and they’re avoiding eye contact with you. Understandably, this would send your nervous system into overdrive. The last thing you want is for your dentist (the person who’s about to be working in your mouth) to be nervous!

While, of course, as a patient, you aren’t responsible for performing a medical procedure, the physical effect that your anxiety has on your dentist’s nervous system is very much the same. Naturally, humans co-regulate emotionally. This means that if one person is tense and anxious, regardless of whether that person is the dentist or the patient, those feelings rub off on the other person. So, when you sit down in the dental chair looking visibly afraid—even when those feelings are 100% valid—you can unintentionally impact your dentist’s focus, energy, and decision-making. 

Not only that, but the mouth is a very small and sensitive place. Therefore, we need as much space and steadiness as possible to do our jobs to the best of our ability. So when a patient comes to us full of anxiety—making quick, unpredictable movements, not opening their mouth, or even biting or fighting back—that job suddenly becomes a lot harder. Imagine trying to thread a needle while riding on a horse. That’s the level of precision needed to properly diagnose and treat an anxious patient! As difficult as it may be, the better you’re able to keep calm and still during your appointment, the better the outcome of your procedure.

Please don’t misunderstand. We dentists care deeply about helping our patients and direct no blame when it comes to dental patient anxiety! But we’re also humans who are not immune to stress or emotional weight, and there are real consequences that can result from having negative energy hanging around the dental chair.

What Dental Patient Anxiety Looks Like to Dentists

Now, I recognize that not every patient experiences anxiety to such a degree that they can’t sit still or refuse to open their mouth. But those aren’t the only ways in which dental patient anxiety shows up! Sometimes, the signs are much more subtle, and though their impact may not be as easily identifiable, they still have the potential to affect your dentist.

When you’re anxious, your body enters fight-or-flight mode, and you may not be conscious of how your body is physically responding to that fear. Even if you don’t realize you’re exhibiting signs of anxiety, we dentists can pick up on your fear responses, and it can impact us both emotionally and physically.

Here’s what I commonly see in anxious dental patients:

• Flinching or tensing up before the injection
  
• Not making eye contact or being hypervigilant
  
• Making rude or passive aggressive comments to your provider
  
• Requesting multiple breaks out of panic

Let me reiterate that all of these responses are totally valid, and I know that some of them may not be entirely within your control. Rather than throw out blame, I simply want to raise awareness of how these things can impact your provider so that, the next time you come to the dentist’s office, you can do your best to stay calm and trust in them to treat your teeth with the care they deserve.

How Patients Can Support a Calm, Healing Environment

I’m a firm believer in emotional energy. When there’s tense, negative energy in the room, it can not only affect precision and decision-making, but also your ability to heal. Fortunately, the reverse is also true! When there’s calm, positive energy in the room and patients have a hopeful mindset toward healing, the better the outcomes that can be achieved.

Through my experience in dealing with anxious dental patients, I’ve been able to uncover various ways in which patients and dentists can work together to make your experience as comfortable as possible:

• Communicate your fear ahead of time. Things become a thousand times easier when you’re open and honest with your dentist. We want to get to know you so we can better serve you! Don’t be shy—tell us what’s going on, and we can help you find ways to make the experience more comfortable for you. 
• Use calming strategies like music and deep breathing. Breathwork is so beneficial for the mind and body. YouTube has tons of videos you can follow along with. Or, you can search for calming music to help you find your Zen. Deep breathing and music may not seem like a lot, but they can make a huge impact on your emotional energy.
• Ask about sedation or other calming options. We may be able to prescribe Xanax or Valium to help—all you have to do is ask!
• Show up rested and fed. It may not seem obvious, but lack of sleep and an empty stomach actually contribute to increased anxiety. On the other hand, when your body is properly fueled and rested, you have a much easier time regulating intense emotions. 
• Be kind. As anxious as you may be, taking those feelings out on your dentist doesn’t help you achieve a better experience or treatment outcome. In fact, as we’ve just established, that negative energy can actually produce the opposite effect, and may even result in your dentist suggesting you look for another provider. Remember, your dentist is there to help you—so treat them as gently as possible. In other words, help us help you!
• Think of your dental visit as a partnership, not a battle. You’re not just coming in to be treated—you’re coming in to collaborate on your healing together. Think of us as teammates—we’re on the same side! And at the end of the day, teamwork makes the dream work.

If you’ve been putting off care because of anxiety, know that I see you. But also rest assured that the right dentist will do anything in their power to help you feel as comfortable as possible. So the next time you end up at the dentist’s office, trust that everything’s going to be okay. As we’ve talked about here today, the positive energy you bring will not only make your experience easier, but also improve your treatment outcomes!

Knowing Your Stuff = Less Dental Patient Anxiety!

One surefire way to overcome dental anxiety is by understanding as much as you can about what’s going on inside your mouth. Let me help you get started with my patient course Tooth Wisdom: The Empowered Patients Guide to Oral Health. Through fun and accessible online modules, you’ll learn everything there is to know about your teeth, how to find the right provider, and what to do when you’re experiencing tooth pain.

– Sonia