One in every 10 people are scared to go to the dentist.

Of those, women and children form a large percentage. Many men pretend they are not anxious to visit a dentist but actually share the same secret fears.

What exactly are people scared of?

Dental phobics (people afraid of going to the dentist) will spend a lot of time thinking about what their dental treatment involves. They may worry about  how long the appointment will last, or sometimes try hard not to think of the dental appointment or procedures involved. Phobia can be in the form of anxiety or fear, and chances are that this applies to you or someone you know.

Why are people scared of the dentist?

There are many potential causes of dental phobias. Some of these include:

• previous bad experiences,
• an uncaring dentist,
• a history of abuse,
• fear of panic attacks,
• needle phobias,
• gagging,
• feeling of choking,
• fear of feeling numb,
• fear of not being able to get numb,
• unnecessary treatment, or
• being awake during a procedure.

How can dental fears affect your life?

Dental phobias can impact ones life in many ways.
Avoiding the dentist can lead to poor oral health, which in turn can lead to a loss of self-confidence, or avoiding contact with others due to embarrassment over their teeth and mouth.

How can we help?

We are pleased to offer several methods to overcome these dental phobias.

1. We at Divine Smiles are very friendly, knowledgeable and relaxed. This means we are well equipped to communicate with patients and put them at ease.
2. The expert staff are experienced in providing personally tailored local anesthesia to make your dental procedures as painless and comfortable as possible.
3. Our dentists are also capable of and trained in using various psychological means to alleviate dental phobias, and can prescribe certain recommended drugs for anxiety.
4. One of our areas of expertise at Divine Smiles is the facility for Intravenous Sedation (Twilight Anesthesia).
   Using IV sedation you will still be conscious and be able to respond to the dentists’ requests, which is an important benefit over using general anaesthetics. However, you feel very relaxed and calm with no sense of pain, and will not be affected by the procedure taking place. The various drugs used produce some memory loss, which means you will not remember anything of the procedure once it is complete, similar to waking up after being asleep.