Do you believe that dentists are one of the most feared people on earth? In fact, a horror movie was made involving dentists as their primary scare source. And it is because of these kinds of attention that people develop an odontophobia or a phobia of dentists.As a dentist based in London, I wouldn’t like my patient trembling with fear every time they visit me. I have often noticed people coming only to visit a dentist when they need immediate dental care, such as for an aching tooth. But for prophylactic reasons or just to go for a regular check up, they won’t volunteer their time.

Oftentimes, their first impression of a dentist is someone who wields a syringe and a pair of pliers, ready to extract that tooth out. And because of the pain that goes with it, pain is automatically associated with dentists. So as they grow older, that fear of dentists grows because they fear the pain that they may experience.

Based on an article I have read just recently, experts suggest that children should be brought to the dentist as early as they are able to sit on a chair by themselves. They need to be acquainted with what a dentist looks like and does. They need to be comfortable with their dentist so they will not develop a trauma from their first experience with them. And sooner or later, going to the dentist will be an event that they will look forward to, instead of dreading that day.