Fear of Choking Contributes to Dental Anxiety

Odontophobia is the fear of visiting the dentist. Many, many people experience dental anxiety. Among one of the more common fears about going to the dentist, is the fear of choking.

People who have fear of choking have noted that they often feel when their mouth is open for an extended period of time, it will fill up with saliva and they will not be able to swallow it.

This problem can be solved with just a little communication with the dentist. Letting your dentist know ahead of time that you are fearful of choking will help your dentist to be more conscious of suctioning excess saliva from your mouth immediately. It may even be possible to arrange some sort of signal with your dentist when you would like them to suction to keep your anxiety at bay.

Our dental office offers sedation dentistry to help fearful patients overcome their anxiety. Conscious sedation dentistry allows patients to relax while their dental work is being completed. Dental sedation not only helps ease the anxiety of the patient, it may also help the dentist to complete the work needed in a shorter period of time…a bonus for both of you!

Dr. Nemeth and Dr. Katranji are periodontal and dental implant specialists in the Detroit area. Feel free to discuss sedation options with them before undergoing a procedure.