Dental FearLess
less fear, more smiles
Are you afraid of making a dental appointment?
1 in 5 (over 53 million Americans) who go to the dentist deal with moderate to severe dental fear. Even more are afraid but almost never see a dentist.
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This fear can sometimes lead people to avoid the dentist, skipping scheduled appointments, or not scheduling them at all.
Why does fear lead to avoidance?
Fear is the body’s natural response to situations that our minds have deemed unsafe. Situations like the dentist’s office can start to feel unsafe after having a bad experience or hearing about someone else’s bad experience.
To protect ourselves, our brains tell us to avoid the object of our fear because we believe we are less likely to be hurt that way.
While this avoidance may make us feel better in the moment, it often does not help us in the long-term because it can increase the fear we feel when later faced with the same situation, leading to further avoidance and a cycle of fear and anxiety.
What can I do?
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If you feel up to making an appointment at the dentist, you can join the Dental FearLess study for free dental fear treatment.
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If you’re not yet ready to make an appointment, you can try a free treatment NYU is offering to help you one day feel ready.
Getting Past Dental Fears: The Writing Method
What Is the Goal?
We hope that, at the end, you’ll feel up to making an appointment for a dental check-up.
What Is This Method?
This is a gentle, tested, step-by-step approach that helps you face your fear of the dentist. You’ll write about what scares you before you ever go to a real dental office. Many people find this helps lower their anxiety.
How It Works
In this exercise, you will:
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Write Down Your Fears: First, you’ll write about what scares you.
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State your goal: Next, you’ll list why you want to work on this fear.
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Picture Your Visit: You’ll picture each step of a dental visit — from making a phone call for an appointment to sitting in the dental chair.
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Think About Different Dentists: You’ll write about what might happen with both a dentist you like and one you don’t like.
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Make a Plan: You’ll list things about how you’ll deal with dentists you don’t like or trust and those that you do like.
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Picture a Better Visit: You’ll write about how your next visit could go if you used your new plan.
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Create Easy-To-Use, “If ___, Then ___” Plans: You’ll plan what you’ll do if certain things happen at the dentist.
Why This Works
This writing method helps because
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you face your fears slowly, one step at a time;
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you figure out exactly what scares you;
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you feel more in control of what happens;
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you practice in your mind before the real visit and know what you’ll do with both good and bad dentists;
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you make plans that fit your own needs.
What to Expect
This writing exercise takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour. You’ll have a trained NYU staff person walk you through each step.
Who is eligible for the study?
Individuals who:
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Are 18 years or older
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Live in the United States
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Are comfortable reading, writing, and speaking in English
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Have access to a device that supports Zoom calls
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Experience fear of making a dental appointment
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Are willing to write about their fear of the dentist