Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Overview
Have you noticed how lots of people can happily go to the dentist for regular care and treatment without a worry in the world? It’s usually because they have gradually built a trust in their dentist. They realise that the dentist is there to help them and ensure that they feel comfortable.
However, for those with dental anxiety or phobia it can seem almost impossible to think as rationally or logically as this. That’s because their perception of the dentist has become unhelpful, acting as a barrier to accessing the care they need. This perception of dentistry is often related to unfortunate experiences in the past but there are many factors that can contribute to the progression of these unhelpful thoughts. The problem is that these unhelpful thoughts lead to a flood of unhelpful emotions and physical feelings such as anxiety, feeling sick, sweating or heart-racing. These feelings are so unpleasant and over-powering that it can lead to avoiding the dentist and neglecting the teeth. Again, those with dental anxiety realise that these behaviours are unhelpful but it can almost seem out of their control and can lead to a vicious cycle that results in poor dental health, appearance, pain and even reduced overall quality of life.
If this sounds familiar then I have some good news for you- it’s possible to change! A powerful talking therapy called Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) aims to break this vicious cycle, allowing you to change your perception of dentistry and teach you how to be able to feel relaxed in a dental environment. There is a lot of strong research to show that CBT is the best way to treat the actual fear and provides effective and long lasting results for the majority of those who use it for dental anxiety.
At Boyne Dental and Implant Clinic we are fortunate to be able to work closely with a CBT therapist in Navan. Usually the first few sessions aren’t even in the dental practice to make the process as easy and comfortable as possible.
There are many ways of being able to treat the teeth of people with dental anxiety but if you want to tackle the actual fear and how it makes you feel then this is the option for you.