Fear is one of the main reasons why you might avoid going to the dentist. You can try to reason with yourself, but the biology of fear does not seem to be something that is mind-over-matter. Once your heart begins to pound, it seems impossible to slow it down. When your muscles tighten, and you feel like you can’t breathe, having someone tell you to stay calm simply won’t stop the physical chain reaction. If you wonder what causes fear, enjoy today’s true-or-false quiz from Evanston cosmetic dentist, Dr. Brent A. Engelberg to learn more.
Questions
Q1. True or false – Reactions to fear begin in the nerves.
Q2. True or false – Fear is induced by a chemical imbalance as opposed to an event.
Q3. True or false – Fear responses are directly related to your hypothalamus.
Q4. True or false – If your fear of the dentist is so intense that you avoid going, you can possibly be helped through with various types of sedation.
Answers
A1. FALSE – The chain reaction of fear is born inside the complex channels of your brain. Fear is usually ignited by a stressful stimulus. You heart begins to race, your breathing becomes rapid, and your muscles tighten up.
A2. The range of causes for a response of fear vary from person-to-person. For some, it might be public speaking, others snakes, and, of course, there’s always more than a few people that feel intense fear when they go to the dentist. For this reason, sedation dentistry has become increasingly popular over the years.
A3. TRUE –The hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that controls the fight-or-flight survival reaction. When stimulated by something frightening, your body responds with a sudden flood of hormones, including epinephrine and norepinephrine. Your blood pressure and heart rate substantially increase. Blood glucose levels can rise, veins constrict, pupils dilate, and excess blood is often sent to the muscles, creating a feeling of chills.
A4. TRUE – Sedation dentistry has become more common as people face their anxieties and phobias, but still recognize the need for preventive dental care and other dental procedures. Nitrous oxide and oral sedation are options to help take the edge of for someone with anxiety. For a severe phobia, IV sedation might be an option.
Comfortable Procedures from Evanston Cosmetic Dentist
Your cosmetic dentist in Evanston offers cosmetic procedures that can help with a number of dental issues, as well as a number of sedation options. You can reach our 60201 dentist office at 847-259-8030. We are happy to serve patients in Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park, Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, Vernon Hills, Lincolnshire, Libertyville, Skokie, Evanston, Palatine, Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Rolling Meadows, Northwest Chicago Suburbs, and Northern Chicago Suburbs.
