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The Smell
If the "typical" dental surgery smell gives you the creeps, relax - it's gone (in modern places, anyway!) I'd actually
take it as a bad omen if a place reeked of "dental office"... Very unlikely it's going to be phobic-friendly. However,
some smell of antiseptic can occasionally be unavoidable (especially in waiting rooms, for some reason unbeknownst to me).
So take into account the overall atmosphere of the place.
The Sights
You can tell a place isn't phobic-friendly if all instruments are laid out in plain view. As much of it as possible should
be hidden away, and only taken out as and when needed. A cluttered environment and instruments laid out in plain view also
suggest that modern standards of infection control may not be adhered to.
Some dental office/practice layouts and equipment are much more phobic-friendly than others. Does the place look clean
(but not "sterile")? Is there a "happy atmosphere" (or at least not a "scary" atmosphere)? What's
the overall "feel" of the place? Of course, the people who occupy the space (i. e. your dentist :-)) can make all
the difference in changing the overall atmosphere, but if the treatment room doesn't look clean, this is a bad sign. Avoid.
If you're scared of the sight of instruments being put into your mouth, simply closing your eyes might work for you. On
the other hand, there are people who like to see exactly what is going on, in which case you can ask your dentist to show
you what's going on with the help of mirrors.
The Sounds
I doubt that anyone is all that keen on the sounds, but if you haven't been to a dentist in a very long time, it might come
as a relief to know that they're not quite as noisy as they used to be. Also, bear in mind that when noise is "inserted"
into your mouth, it sounds much louder than it actually is. Your dentist should always demonstrate any instrument that makes
a noise to you first, so that you know what it sounds like "in reality".
Sounds are subjective experiences. I'm sure you're aware of how your voice will sound totally different if you cover your
ears while speaking or humming a song.
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Try this:
You may want to try the following desensitization exercise - don't do it if you feel it's too scary, though. You'll need a
powerful shower or alternatively earplugs, an electric toothbrush, and a bit of courage. Try brushing your teeth while having
a shower and letting the water run over your ears (so that your ears are covered - earplugs might also work, though I haven't
tried it myself). This will produce some rather threatening sounds! Completely harmless, of course, but the first time you
try it, you'll probably find yourself trembling.
If you've never tried an electric toothbrush before, or you haven't done so in a while, the above is not recommended!
If your phobia extends to dental-related implements, you'll probably find an electric toothbrush on its own pretty frightening
(well, I for one can remember clearly how badly I was shaking just holding that thing...) This is entirely normal, but will
get much better with practice. Just remember to start off slowly and increase your tolerance level gradually.
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Many people equate the sounds of dental instruments with pain. The logic behind this is simple: if you've had a painful dentistry
experience in the past, usually this experience would have been accompanied by the sound of a dental tool, and you've come
to associate the sound with pain. Just hearing the sound may evoke a "perception" of pain, even though this is physiologically
impossible.
If you've had unpleasant encounters with drills in the past (as a result of not being numb (enough)), you will, in all
likelihood, associate the sound of the handpiece with pain. It can help to bear in mind that the sound actually has no correlation
to pain - it's just air turbulence spinning the bur.
If the sounds still bother you, listening to a discman, iPod or similar can help. Some dentists offer discmans, or even
virtual reality glasses with audiosystems, in their practice (alternatively, bring your own). On the other hand, you may want
to be "talked through" procedures (although if you keep your finger on the discman, you can switch it on and off
as needed) - again, you're spoilt for choice, go with whatever feels right for you! Many places these days play music or have
the radio on in the background, which makes the atmosphere more relaxed. Hint: if you decide to go with the discman/iPod option,
choose suitably noisy music to blend out other sounds, a relaxation tape is not much use ;) !
Some people also find that being covered by a blanket helps them feel safe and secure. If you feel a blanket would help
you, bring one along.
If you'd like to find out more about the importance of the environment, check out the excellent article Lloyd Jerome wrote
for this site on the use of distraction in dentistry: The Art and Science of Distraction.
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