Have you heard about the term Odontophobia?
Odontophobia is also known as Dentophobia.

Does it ring any bells? Well, you guessed it right, it is something related to Teeth. Clarifying it further, we can say that it is a fear of the dentist. It may sound a little ironic, but visiting a dentist can be frightening.

Let us put it in the picture, imagine yourself sitting on a Dental chair in a clinic. A dentist is standing near you with a needle in his hand, ready to stab it in your gums. Terrifying, right?

People of all age groups can fear going to a dentist. The main reason for this fear could be a prior bad experience with a dental surgeon or just a fear of needles.

If you are someone who also faces visiting a dental doctor, then don’t worry. You are not alone; as per studies, around 15% of Americans have dental phobia.

However, do you know in many cases, ESA’s helped people from overcoming Dentophobia?

Animals are warm and sweet. We know they have an exceptional ability to form an emotional bond and provide Emotional Support to humans.

An emotional support dog can help the owner in difficult situations that can aggravate their anxiety-like seeing an orthodontist.

Are you finding it unconvincing? Well, We have a bunch of fascinating real-life experiences for you. At the end of this, we will guarantee you will be assured that dogs are not only cuddling partners more than that; they are humans buddies who help them in difficult situations.

In This Blog
Real Life Experiences:

• Our Dog Helped My Daughter to Proceed With Her Treatment
• The day my dog helped me to overcome my dental fear
• That’s how I cured my years of agony
• Wrapping Up

Our Dog Helped My Daughter to Proceed With Her Treatment

My name is Anna, and I am a housewife. Me and my husband Charlie, are blessed with a beautiful daughter Christy. Christy was never a regular kid. She was diagnosed with Sotos Syndrome when she was 3. The last four years have been tough for us, visiting doctors and waiting in lines for doctor’s appointments. It is frustrating for my husband and me to see doctors all the time. But it was most difficult for Christy.

Imagine a little 7-year-old girl going through complex medical procedures. As a mother, I was always there for her, supporting her every time. She was still doing great; however, things got difficult last month when her dental treatment started. Christy got nervous during the dentist’s visit and cried a lot. We had a hard time just going through the checkup process. Anna had ten sittings for the upcoming months, but we were worried about coping with her dental anxiety. Her apprehensive behavior wouldn’t have taken us anywhere.

Then my husband comes up with a plan to bring our dog with Christy in her next sitting. I didn’t believe it at first, but our pup helped my daughter with dental anxiety management. Now, Christy keeps the dog on her lap during all her dental sessions and sometimes forgets the pain while moving her fingers on the pup’s coat. It’s more like even our dog senses her pain and tries to calm her whenever Christy gets uneasy.

I am very relieved that now my daughter’s animal-assisted therapy worked for her. Now we can continue her treatment without any issues.

The day my dog helped me to overcome my dental fear

Here is what “Richard” has to say about his dental fear and how Snowy helped him to get treated

“Last month, my family and I went to a picnic at a local park. We were chilling under the sun on that winter afternoon and having some snacks. While watching my children playing with our puppy Snowy, my wife came toward me with a cold drink and said she forgot to bring an opener. I don’t know what came to mind as I grabbed a cold drink bottle from my wife’s hand and tried to open it with my teeth. As I was trying to impress my wife, a sudden noise of crack came from my mouth. The deed was done; the cap did come out but along with my tooth.

My gums were bleeding blood rapidly like a river. I was getting so anxious then my wife took charge of the situation and gathered the children and Snowy. She gave me a clean towel to cover my mouth and rushed me to a local dentist.

While my wife went to the counter to check the dentist’s availability, I got a flashback of my earlier dentist visit. I was 10 when I sat in the dental room crying in pain while the dentist was drilling my teeth.

But today, I was not more than a 10-year child that could cry or even run from there. I was left with no option but to go through this torture. Suddenly, Snowy came toward me and started cuddling around my legs. I forgot my pain for once.

After a while, when a nurse came toward me to show me the dentist’s room, I asked if I could bring my dog with me. Firstly, they denied it, but somehow I managed to get Snowy with me. While sitting on a dentist’s chair, I was restless as the dentist was doing treatment, Snowy trying to calm me down and licking my hands.
I have no idea how I would have managed that day without Snowy. It was just Snowy that helped me in overcoming dental anxiety.”

That’s how I cured my years of agony

My name is Stacy and I had tooth sensitivity for years. Though, things got more intricate when it became hard for me even to eat simple food. I was left with no option other than to visit a dental clinic. After my checkup, the dentist told me to schedule a session for RCT as soon as possible.

I got numb for a while. RCT?

I was anxious and asked the dentist for some medications instead of a Root Canal Treatment. The dentist paused for a while and said that’s the only option; pills won’t work with that much damage.

Embarrassingly, I confessed my phobia to him and asked for some dental anxiety treatment options. The dentist understood my fear and asked me to adopt an Emotional Support Animal. He said that procedure is a little critical, and it might take a few more sessions. It is good if I will take the assistance of any pets for anxiety. I was a little surprised and asked the dentist what it that.

Then he explained to me that many animals like cats, rabbits, and dogs help with anxiety. With the help of an ESA letter, I can certify a pet and bring them to the clinic as emotional support during my sessions. I happily adopted an anxiety dog and quickly approved it with an emotional support animal letter as a dog person.

Now, I bring my dog during all my sessions, so this helped. I feel safer around my new pet. We went through all the procedures together and completed two sessions. I am grateful that I found a lovely friend in my dog who is helping me in my hard time.

Wrapping Up

Oral care is an essential part of overall health. One shouldn’t ignore it just because of fear of the dentist. Schedule regular checkups and cleanings from time to time. An emotional support animal can help you in overcoming your phobia. We shared some real-life experiences of ordinary people that overcame their fear with the help of an ESA. If you fear the same, get yourself an anxiety dog and plan a visit to your dentist.

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