Fear of the dentist is common, and it is taken seriously.
A national survey found more than a third of adults had moderate dental anxiety and 12% had extreme anxiety. NHS guidance says dental staff are trained to help nervous patients. An independent informational guide, not a dental practice.
General information only, not medical advice. For advice about your own health, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified health professional.
WHAT THE SURVEY FOUND
Which part worries people?
Pick a line from the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey, which measured anxiety with the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale. The bar shows roughly what share of adults it covers.
Survey figures for adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is general information, not personal dental or medical advice.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Phobia is less common, and can change.
One figure on how many people have a dental phobia, one on what happened after talking therapy in one NHS service.
≈ 1 in 10
People estimated to have dental phobia
King's College London says estimates from the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey suggest around one in ten people has a dental phobia, which typically leads people to avoid the dentist.
DENTAL PHOBIA · KCL
79%
Treated without sedation after CBT
Of 130 patients referred to a psychologist-led CBT service at Guy's and St Thomas', 79% went on to have dental treatment without sedation, after an average of five CBT appointments.
CBT SERVICE · KCL
The study's authors said CBT complements sedation services rather than replacing them: some people will still need sedation for urgent or invasive treatment. Results come from one specialist service, published in the British Dental Journal.
WHAT NHS GUIDANCE LISTS
Ideas the NHS puts forward.
NHS inform (Scotland) lists these ways to ease a fear of the dentist. They are general suggestions, and a dental team can talk through what suits each person.
Explain how you feel
Speak to the dentist about your feelings and work together to make the visit as relaxed as possible.
Agree a stop signal
Agree on a signal you will make if you feel overwhelmed or want the treatment to stop for any reason.
Use calm and distraction
Breathing and relaxation techniques, or music on headphones, can take the focus away from sounds that make you anxious.
Ask about extra support
You can ask for the dental nurse to sit with you. For severe fear, NHS inform says you can ask about a referral to a sedation clinic.
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.
WHEN FEAR BECOMES PHOBIA
Avoidance has a cost.
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.
King's College London describes dental anxiety becoming a phobia when it has a marked impact on someone's well-being. People with dental phobia typically avoid the dentist and end up with more dental pain and poorer oral health.
The NHS lists talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) among the treatments for phobias, and says you can refer yourself to an NHS talking therapies service without seeing a GP first.
Questions
Questions people ask
How common is fear of the dentist?
Very common. In the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey, 36% of adults who had ever been to the dentist had moderate dental anxiety and 12% had extreme anxiety.
What part of a visit worries people most?
In the same survey, 72% of adults said they would be anxious about having a tooth drilled and 70% about an injection in the gum.
Do dentists know how to help nervous patients?
NHS inform says dentists are much more aware of anxiety than they used to be and that staff are trained to handle nervous patients. Numbing gels can be used before injections.
Is sedation the only option?
No. NHS inform lists several coping approaches first, with sedation clinics for severe fear. A King's College London study found most patients in its CBT service went on to treatment without sedation.
Is 'sleep dentistry' the same as being asleep?
Not usually. NHS inform says intravenous sedation is not for putting you to sleep: you stay awake, though it can help you relax and you may not remember the procedure.
