Dentophobia Essay

What is Dentophobia?

For every phobia the infinitely inventive – and infinitely fearful – human mind can create, there is a word that has been coined to describe it (Kluger).

To understand the dental phobia disorder fully, one must gain a general background on phobias, be able to recognize their causes and symptoms, and learn how the disease is treated and possibly cured. Because phobias are a mental disorder, they may lead to many health issues and personal distresses; therefore, it is important to be informed about what exactly they are. The specific fear of dentistry, known as Dentophobia, can be especially harmful as it motivates persons suffering from said anxiety to avoid important dental care (Hollander). This paper, written in the format of the Modern Language Association (MLA), discusses a description of phobias (and particularly Dentophobia), the common symptoms and causes of the disorder, and how the condition is treated.

The definition of a “phobia,” according to most sources, is an irrational fear of objects or situations that pose no real threat. As a supporting example, the U.S. National Library of Medicine identified it as a type of anxiety disorder in which a person possesses a fear of something that has little or no real danger. Phobias themselves initiate from the mind the suffering a person endures. According to Melinda Smith, “With phobias the threat is greatly exaggerated or nonexistent.” In other words, it is all in one’s head.

Phobias have been around for thousands of years, but have just recently become more commonly recognized. According to Greg Korgeski, Hippocrates was the first physician ever to reference phobias in his work, although he did not actually come up with the term “phobia,” which was ...

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...xtremely important to know how to deal with the matter. A phobia is one of the simplest mental health issues to overcome, which means the prognosis is incredibly optimistic that anyone suffering will eventually be able to live a normal life without fear.

When bringing all of this into account for specific cases of Dentophobia, the signs tend to be fairly obvious when a person is indeed a victim of the common disorder, and the road to recovery is essential to maintain proper oral health. Everyone needs to understand that anxiety disorders such as phobias are the most common mental illness in the United States and are highly treatable, yet only about one-third of the suffering population receives treatment (Anxiety). If people become more aware on what phobias are, what they involve, and how simple treatment can be, maybe this will no longer be such a daunting issue.