Dentist/Implant Anxiety?

Implants have become the most important alternative in cases of tooth loss. The need to create a prosthesis by grinding down adjacent teeth in cases of single-tooth loss has been eliminated, and in cases of multiple tooth loss, implants have become an important alternative to palate prostheses and long bridges. With new technologies, even people with significant levels of bone loss can obtain fixed teeth, provided they have healthy teeth, achieving a functional and aesthetic level.

Although implant surgery has become routine and widespread, there are still many fears and concerns associated with this type of surgery. While many of these concerns are unfounded, some do have a degree of validity. You have likely heard various negative examples of dental treatments, including implants, in your surroundings. It is not wrong to acknowledge that a significant portion of these examples have some level of truth. However, it is essential to remember that generally, negative experiences are more newsworthy than positive ones, and they are often discussed in written and spoken settings.

The main reasons for fear in dental and implant treatment are:

Intangible dental fear:

Fear that is experienced without any concrete reason, such as fear of heights or enclosed spaces, is quite common. Many patients have not visited a dentist, even though they have experienced severe pain for decades or have had problems due to tooth loss. Generally, these individuals come to us when they have reached a state where they can no longer carry out their daily lives normally and are forced to seek treatment. By this point, significant oral problems have accumulated over many years. Over 95% of these patients start their treatment with us or another clinic. Although we are not psychology experts, our experience suggests that fear can be overcome when necessary.

Therefore, why not overcome this fear at an earlier stage? You can find people who have had good experiences with dental treatment to discuss your concerns. Without asking for good examples, they may not be mentioned. Find people with good experiences in your immediate environment, workplace, or family. Social communication on the internet is now an important part of everyone's life. Ask your questions on these platforms and read about good experiences. Remember, negative experiences are written about more often. For example, take a popular X brand mobile phone. Assume that the customer satisfaction rate for this brand is 95%. When you search the internet, you will see that the rate of negative reviews is much higher than 5%. This is because unhappy people are more likely to express their opinions than satisfied people.

If you cannot overcome your fears on your own or with the help of your immediate environment, seek psychological help. Do not think that you do not have an important psychological problem, or that you have a mental disorder or that you do not need a psychologist. If you cannot overcome your fear of the dentist, you may face problems that are as important as other psychological problems.

Separate your fear of the dentist (dental treatment) from your fear of visiting the dental clinic. You can only overcome your fear of the dentist in a clinical environment. Visiting the clinic does not require you to undergo treatment. Nobody will force you to sit in the chair and undergo treatment. 

There is no reason to be afraid of a routine check-up. First, your X-ray will be taken. There is no pain or discomfort, and the radiation you will be exposed to is not at a level that will affect your health. For those who are afraid of X-rays, it's worth noting that all clinics and check-ups in Turkey are supervised by the Turkish Atomic Energy Authority. Each X-ray machine is regularly checked by this institution and can have its license revoked if it violates standards. After the X-ray, you will sit in the treatment chair, but don't panic. Your treatment will not start yet! The dentist will examine your X-rays and your mouth. There is no needle, no pain. We can guarantee this 100%. Then, they will explain what needs to be done and answer your questions. Don't hesitate to ask any questions. In our opinion, one of the qualifications of a good dentist is to provide detailed answers to all types of questions without questioning the logic or necessity of the patient's questions.

You need not only a dentist who is good at treatment but also good at communication. One of the most important factors in overcoming your fear will be the communication established by the dentist. Therefore, when looking for a good clinic or dentist for an appointment, consider not only the quality of treatment but also their communication skills. Poor communication can further reinforce your fear. You can read our relevant article for what to look for in your first appointment.

In the clinic where you receive your check-up, you may request to observe the treatment of patients with a similar condition to yours. Watching painless, discomfort-free treatment can be really beneficial. Our patients do not feel any pain even when having implants placed after local anesthesia. Also, with the permission of the patients, you can talk to other patients who are receiving dental treatment in a similar area in the clinic or over the phone and ask them all your questions. Learning from those who have experienced it firsthand can be very reassuring. This can also help you evaluate the quality of the clinic and the dentist.

A good clinic and a dentist who respects your situation and can communicate well with you will help you overcome your fear.

One final word on this: our experiences show that patients with fears often start treatment only when their discomfort has advanced to an advanced stage. So why not overcome your fear before your discomfort reaches a more advanced stage?

Fear of needles:

Many people are afraid of getting a needle regardless of where it is injected. One of the essential parts of dental treatment is the injection of local anesthesia before treatment. There is no shame in having this fear. Even patients who have served as combatants in the East without flinching can be afraid of needles. The only thing we can say is that in good and experienced hands, the pain from the needle will be minimal. This momentary and mild pain will pale in comparison to the pain and discomfort caused by dental problems. Also, with new technology such as electronic needles, you may not even feel any pain. You can consult with us for more information on this.

Not feeling pain during dental treatment:

The purpose of local anesthesia is to numb the area to be treated so that you do not feel any pain. All treatments, such as fillings, root canals, prosthetic tooth shaping, and implant placement, are performed after the area is numbed. Therefore, you should not feel any pain. If you feel pain when treatment starts, it means that the local anesthesia was not done properly. Don't hesitate to tell the dentist if you feel any pain. Complete numbness in the treatment area is necessary for a comfortable treatment. If your treatment is taking a long time, the effect of the anesthesia may begin to wear off. In such a case, the dentist can administer the anesthesia again. Many of our 

implant surgery patients don't even notice when the implant is placed, let alone feel any pain.

In summary, there is no need to be afraid of routine dental check-ups and treatments. The key is to find a good clinic and a dentist who can communicate well with you and respect your situation. With modern technology and proper use of local anesthesia, dental treatment can be painless and comfortable. Don't let your fear prevent you from seeking the dental care you need.

If you hear crying, screaming, or shouting from patients in the clinic, most of the time it's due to fear from child patients. The noise in our clinics comes only from the sound of our electric instruments :)

The discomfort you may experience during dental treatment comes from sitting in the dental chair for a long time and keeping your mouth open for an extended period, causing jaw fatigue. You can consider this a small penalty for not taking proper care of your teeth in a timely manner :)

In certain treatments, it is entirely natural to experience pain after the procedure. After all, a part of your body has undergone a specific treatment, causing sensitivity or injury that will heal in time. The level of pain that may occur when the anesthesia wears off varies from patient to patient. Pain tolerance is different from person to person. Some of our patients have reported not feeling any pain even after implant treatment, to the point where they didn't need to use painkillers. This pain will not be more severe than the pain you have experienced from dental problems before, and it will decrease within a few days. Moreover, the painkillers that your dentist will give you will help alleviate or suppress this pain. For more information, you can read the post-treatment care section.

Don't be afraid of implant surgery.

Fear and anxiety about implant surgery are much more widespread and prevalent than other dental treatments. After all, it is a surgical procedure, where a foreign object is placed into the body like a screw. You have every right to be concerned. However, there is no need to worry. In well-equipped clinics and experienced hands, the success rate is over 95% and even above 98%. We recommend that you be cautious if someone promises 100% success.

The two most common causes of implant failure in implant surgery are failure to fuse with the bone and implant failure due to infection in the area where the implant is placed. Apart from these, risks are rare in well-equipped and experienced clinics. Failure to fuse with the bone occurs due to incorrect treatment planning, incomplete treatment, implant application in an area where the bone is insufficient, or the patient not paying enough attention to their oral health after implant placement. In this case, the implant is removed, and necessary treatment and reinforcement procedures are applied before reapplying the implant. In cases where the implant cannot be placed, prosthesis solutions are applied. If an infection occurs in the area where the implant is placed due to the same reasons, it can be treated without losing the implant with early detection. Otherwise, the implant is removed, the infection in the area is treated, and the implant is reapplied to the area.

Implant is the most effective and widely recommended method for tooth loss all over the world. Millions of people have successfully undergone this treatment with high success rates. When considering the advantages of implants, the risks remain at a very low level. You can read about the advantages of implants on our implant treatment page. The decision is yours.

The second biggest fear in implant treatment is the possibility of pain and discomfort. A titanium screw is placed into your jawbone. You can think of it as a large nail being hammered into any part of your body. It sounds dramatic. But don't be afraid! After local anesthesia, you won't feel any pain during the implant placement, including sinus lifting and advanced bone surgery in some cases. You may hear some knocking sounds, but you won't feel any pain. We are talking about this with ease because we have applied implants to thousands of patients. Some of our patients didn't even realize when the implant was placed. Imagine patients who have been scared to go to the dentist for years, and who have come to us reluctantly with great fears. After treatment, most of these patients say, "We have been suffering from so much trouble for nothing until now," and report that they had no problems during the implant placement. However, don't fully trust us. Visit us or a clinic you trust. Watch a few surgical treatments with permission. Don't settle; talk to patients afterwards. You won't lose anything.

If you ask if you will have pain after implant treatment, the answer is yes, it's possible. After all, we hammered a "nail" into your bone :) It's natural to feel pain when the anesthesia wears off. However, this pain will be temporary and will last only two to three days. The painkillers recommended by your doctor will suppress this pain, and you won't suffer much. You will have healthy and natural-looking teeth or dentures that are much less painful and shorter-lasting than many other pains you've experienced.

Especially in cases where sinus lifting and advanced bone surgery are applied, some patients may experience swelling and bruising on their faces. This is temporary and will slowly disappear within a week.

In summary, in a well-equipped center and experienced hands, your chance of obtaining functional teeth and a healthy mouth with a little discomfort is high.

Are you afraid of experiencing the same things in a new place because of your negative experiences?

You may have had negative experiences before. Negative experiences usually involve treatment failure, poor communication with the dentist, problems related to treatment prices, and inadequate support after treatment. Unfortunately, there is no 100% quality in any industry. It is not possible to achieve perfection in real life. However, you should not be pessimistic about this issue. It is not appropriate for us to evaluate ourselves. However, there are many clinics and dentists outside of us who take their job seriously and do it well in the healthcare industry. It is your duty to find the clinics and dentists that will meet your expectations. Just like when you buy a house or a car, you think and research a lot. You should also be like this in an area related to your health.

Ask your friends, do your research on the internet, and determine your own alternatives. Make an appointment for a consultation. After that, make your own observations. You don't have to start treatment in a place where you are not completely comfortable.

Ensure that you have enough time for the appointment. Let the dentist explain in detail what needs to be done. Then ask any questions you may have regarding the treatment plan. Don't hesitate to ask any questions that come to mind. If you don't understand something, ask the dentist to show it on the screen. Observe the dentist's experience in the field and the clinic's hygiene. Learn about the technological methods used and their benefits. Question the clinic's hygiene. Most importantly, ask what will happen if there are any negative experiences during treatment (there is no such thing as 100% success), and what support will be provided after the treatment. Ask and keep asking. How else will you know if the place is right for you? This way, you will definitely find places that meet your expectations. If you're not sure, no one can force you to start treatment. Relax.

One of the most common situations we experience is when patients can't express the problems they are experiencing with their dentist. Misunderstandings and problems that can be easily solved are left unresolved due to lack of communication. The patient may develop a feeling of reluctance towards the dentist. Additionally, the patient may worry that criticizing the dentist will negatively affect their treatment. This should not be the case. The authoritative, reprimanding, and dismissive dentist profile of the past is beginning to change, and it must change completely. A good dentist should pay attention to both the quality of the treatment and the quality of communication. One of the biggest factors in the failure of treatments is the inability to establish a comfortable, natural, and warm communication between the dentist and the patient.