Cold sweats, anxiety, tension ... The nightmares of many Spanish are filled with white coats and masks that only hint at unknown eyes of men and women approaching needle or lathes. A claustrophobic feeling of helplessness, when cornered in a chair where you lose even the power of the scream as foreign hands rummage through your mouth.
Have you ever felt a similar feeling at the dentist? If your answer is yes, you should know you are not alone. You are part of the club 'odontofóbicos', ie those who, as much as your dentist tells you that does daDentist: I have no fear.ño, struggle horrors go to the consultation for their fears. This phobia has become so common that the World Health Organization has posted they have it about 15% of the population.
This is a club that nobody wants to join. Therefore, the College of Dentistry and Stomatology of Madrid (EMCO) has hung the robe for a day and has enlisted the help of psychologists to several patients overcome dental phobia.
This is not 'A Clockwork Orange'
"The idea of this course is a series of surveys we did to the locals in the consultations. Verified that more than 50% of respondents not performed the necessary revisions and came only when the problem could not wait any more, in part by the fear that had the dentist, "says says Dr. Ramón Soto-Yarritu, president of the EMCO.
This specialist, "it is clear that not all suffer odontophobia, which is stronger than typical nerves there when you go to see any doctor. We, every day we find many situations patients who have a phobia, which interfere with patient care at that time and also its long-term oral health. talked about people who find it difficult to continue their usual reviews and are making excuses for not going to the dentist when the semi-annual review is essential as a preventive "says Ramón Soto-Yarritu.
Carolina is one of those that puts patients face this phobia and problems. At 26 is part of the group of 24 people trying, with this talk, overcome their fears. "I think I have them phobia dentists since the first time I entered a query. Was small and had a tooth problem and, although I did no harm, was the situation, his robe, the room, the smell and nerves could not stand it, "he recalls. And until now. "I can not imagine having to go to the room, I can not with this, I get very nervous and that led me to postpone the appointments even if I have to go out of necessity. When I can no longer delay it longer I, but I do forced me very nervous, "he explains.
Mariana Segura, psychologist, Common Space center director and professor of the Center for Negotiation and Mediation Business School and Delgado Aguera, psychologist and head of training said first center are responsible for teaching the course. For Segura, "the good of this phobia is that it is focused on one thing in particular.'s Like those who are afraid of snakes or dogs. Worst fears are those concrete things," he explains.
Therefore, this specialist enlists in the maxim of 'who wants to, can' and explains that this type of phobia "even depending on the patient, can be solved in a few sessions." Especially when there is a bad experience, "which is quite normal." "While people have become afraid because at the time I did any damage that has left them 'touched', most people associate the dentist with a feeling of pain or threat that is quite irrational. Everything about the consultation of the dentist not painful, but we have this fear because our culture traditionally associated with unpleasant experiences and yes, it's uncomfortable, "says Dr. Segura.
Yes, this specialist emphasizes that "probably in a few years this is no longer the case and now we see as normal, something that is already happening, this phobia is becoming less frequent" he says.
Facing fears
What is done to prevent it? "To overcome phobias such it is best to address the problem, but it prepared. In this case we have launched three technical groups: the first is relaxing, so that from before going to be with lower anxiety level and then know yourself in the query. The second group is the control and management of our thoughts, to not think of ourselves catastrophically or excuses. Finally, we will learn how to plan an agenda and form a habit of going to the dentist, By confronting because it will end up over it, "he says.
But not all work of patients and dentists can put their grain of sand. "We need to know a little to their patients and try to relax them. Talking to them calmly, giving some great information and some less and that consultation was not nervous, that is, the music is a good measure and if we keep busy their stimuli with other things we can relax, "says Segura.
And the last tip: "To beat a phobia must be exposed to it, but do it properly, so desensitization is achieved. If we are not prepared you can turn resensitization, which if we face our fear from a high anxiety level and left with an unpleasant experience there will be no way back to the query "he says.
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundosalud/2012/11/28/noticias/1354129460.html