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Dental Anxiety: How to Cope and What Help Is Available

Feeling nervous about the dentist is very common. Practical ways to cope, how to tell your dental team, and the extra help available, from relaxation techniques to sedation.

Updated September 2026·By the OHA editorial team·8 min read·How we write
Key takeaways
  • Dental anxiety is very common. In England's 2023 national survey, 15% of adults with natural teeth reported extreme dental anxiety and 40% moderate anxiety.
  • Tell the practice when you book and again when you arrive. You can agree a stop signal and ask for breaks at any time.
  • Breathing exercises, distraction, bringing someone with you and short talking therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can all help.
  • If that is not enough, dentists may offer happy gas, sedation or, in some cases, treatment under general anaesthetic, or refer you to a service that does.
  • Avoiding the dentist tends to make problems, and anxiety, worse over time.

If the thought of a dental appointment fills you with dread, you are far from alone. Dental anxiety means fear, anxiety or stress linked to dental care. When it is severe enough to cause intense fear and avoidance, the Better Health Channel says it may be called a dental phobia. There are many ways to make visits manageable.

How common is dental anxiety?

The Oral Health Foundation says being nervous about the dentist is very common, and the Better Health Channel says it can affect people of any age.

England's Adult Oral Health Survey 2023 measured anxiety among adults with at least one natural tooth:

  • 15% had extreme dental anxiety, which the survey says may indicate dental phobia.
  • 40% had moderate dental anxiety.
  • 45% had no or low anxiety.

The most feared parts were having a tooth drilled (37% very or extremely anxious) and a local anaesthetic injection (32%). Extreme anxiety was more common in women (20%) than men (9%), and in the lowest-income households (20%) than the highest (7%).

Why do people feel anxious?

The Oral Health Foundation lists common reasons, including:

  • the sound of the drill, or the smells in the practice
  • fear of needles
  • feeling uncomfortable lying back, or claustrophobic while someone works in your mouth
  • a bad experience in the past, or unpleasant childhood memories
  • not having been for a long time, and worry about what treatment might be needed

The Better Health Channel adds past trauma to the head and neck, other trauma including abuse, fear of losing control, and conditions such as generalised anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Signs can include sweating, a racing heart, fainting or visible distress.

Why it matters

Avoiding the dentist allows problems to get worse, which can mean emergency care or more complex treatment later. The Better Health Channel calls this the "vicious cycle" of dental anxiety, because avoiding care also feeds the anxiety.

Practical ways to cope

Before the appointment

  • Get to know the practice. The Oral Health Foundation suggests visiting beforehand and talking to the receptionist.
  • Say you are anxious when you book, so the practice can book you with a dentist experienced with nervous patients (Oral Health Foundation).
  • Know that the first visit may just be a check-up. The Oral Health Foundation says you will be told what treatment is needed and the cost, and can then decide what to do. See dental check-ups.
  • Bring someone. The Oral Health Foundation says a friend or relative can stay with you during the appointment if you wish.

Telling your dentist

The NHS, healthdirect Australia and the American Dental Association all say to tell your dental team you are anxious; healthdirect says they can take extra care to minimise discomfort. The American Dental Association also suggests you:

  • share any bad experiences you have had
  • ask questions, since knowing what will happen can ease fear of the unknown
  • tell the dentist if you feel pain even after a local anaesthetic (a numbing injection)

The NHS says you can ask to stop or take a break at any time during a check-up. Agree a stop signal in advance, such as raising a hand, as the American Dental Association and the Better Health Channel suggest. If needles are the problem, the Oral Health Foundation says the dentist can put numbing gel on the gum first.

During the appointment

Techniques suggested by the American Dental Association and the Better Health Channel include:

  • Breathing: breathe in slowly, then out for the same count, five times.
  • Relaxing your muscles one body part at a time, from your forehead down to your toes.
  • Distraction: headphones with music or an audiobook, a stress ball, or picturing a calm place.
  • Other options (Better Health Channel): meditation, guided imagery, or bringing a weighted blanket.

Talking therapies

For severe fear, the Better Health Channel says short, targeted therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a type of talking therapy, can be very successful, and referral to a psychologist can help. The Oral Health Foundation says hypnotherapy helps some people.

In England, the NHS lists CBT and hypnotherapy among treatments for phobias, and says you can refer yourself to an NHS talking therapies service without seeing a GP.

What your dentist may offer

If coping techniques are not enough, extra help is available. Options differ by country.

United Kingdom

Our guide to dental sedation covers the types, safety and aftercare in more detail. The Oral Health Foundation describes two main types of sedation:

  • Inhalation sedation ("gas and air" or relative analgesia): you breathe nitrous oxide and oxygen through a small nosepiece. You stay awake, feel relaxed quickly, and the effects wear off quickly.
  • Intravenous (IV) sedation: a sedative given through a small injection in your hand or arm. You feel very relaxed and drowsy, may remember little of the treatment, but can still follow instructions. You need someone to take you home, and must not drive, drink alcohol or operate machinery for the rest of the day.

You may be referred to a clinic that offers sedation, or your doctor may prescribe a mild sedative to take beforehand. If you have additional needs and need specialised treatment, the NHS says your dental team may refer you to Special Care Dentistry.

Australia

The Better Health Channel describes four options for severe anxiety:

  • Relative analgesia ("happy gas"): nitrous oxide and oxygen through a mask. You stay awake but relaxed, and may not remember everything.
  • Anti-anxiety tablets: a small, short-acting dose usually taken an hour before the appointment, only after discussion with your dentist or doctor.
  • Conscious ("twilight") sedation: medicine through a drip in the arm or hand, given by a dentist with advanced sedation training or an anaesthetist. You may drift into a light sleep but can still respond when spoken to.
  • General anaesthetic: you are fully asleep, in hospital, with a dentist and an anaesthetist.

Not all dentists offer sedation, and some medical conditions or medicines limit which types you can have. A general anaesthetic does not help you learn to cope with visits, so the Better Health Channel says it works best combined with other strategies.

United States

The American Dental Association says sedation may involve gases that are breathed in, pills or injected medicine, and that general anaesthesia is occasionally used. The type of procedure, your overall health, allergies and anxiety level are all considered.

Can you drive afterwards?

Sources differ. The Oral Health Foundation says you can usually drive about 15 minutes after gas and air, but not for the rest of the day after IV sedation. The Better Health Channel says to avoid driving home after any sedation. Check with your dentist and arrange a lift if you are unsure.

Helping an anxious child

The Better Health Channel says children who have had bad dental experiences are likely to overcome their fear if they are supported at later visits. The NHS advises taking children to the dentist from when their first teeth appear, so they get used to it, and being positive about visits.

Tips from the Australian Dental Association and the American Dental Association include:

  • talk about what happens at the dentist, read positive books about visits, or play dentist at home
  • practise opening the mouth and counting teeth
  • avoid scary stories, never use the dentist as a threat, and avoid saying "be brave", which can suggest there is something to fear
  • if you feel anxious yourself, try not to show it, as children pick up on it
  • book a time when your child is usually rested, not at naptime

The Raising Children Network says paediatric dentists, who have extra training in treating children, often see anxious children. Dentists may sometimes recommend sedation for a child (American Dental Association), and some children need treatment under general anaesthetic in hospital (Better Health Channel). See also children's teeth.

When to see a dentist
  • You have toothache, bleeding gums or a problem that is getting worse: do not wait for the anxiety to pass. See toothache and dental emergencies.
  • The Better Health Channel says to see a dentist as soon as you can about a mouth ulcer that lasts longer than 2 weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Can I be put to sleep for dental treatment?

Sometimes. The Better Health Channel says a general anaesthetic is given in hospital, but it does not help you learn to cope with future visits.

Will my fear ever go away?

Sources differ. The Oral Health Foundation says it gets better for many people as regular visits build trust. The Better Health Channel says anxious adults tend to stay anxious, but many find a dentist who helps them cope.

Is my dentist going to judge me for not going for years?

The Oral Health Foundation says dentists are trained to help nervous patients, and the American Dental Association says your dental team can treat you better if they know your needs.

Sources

  1. Adult oral health survey 2023: service use and barriers to accessing care, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (GOV.UK), accessed September 2026
  2. What happens when you visit an NHS dentist, NHS, accessed September 2026
  3. How to find an NHS dentist, NHS, accessed September 2026
  4. Phobias, NHS, accessed September 2026
  5. Children's teeth, NHS, accessed September 2026
  6. My fear of the dentist, Oral Health Foundation, accessed September 2026
  7. Relaxation and sedation, Oral Health Foundation, accessed September 2026
  8. Dental anxiety and phobia, Better Health Channel (Victoria), accessed September 2026
  9. Teeth development in children, Better Health Channel (Victoria), accessed September 2026
  10. Dental check-up, healthdirect Australia, accessed September 2026
  11. First dental visits, Australian Dental Association, accessed September 2026
  12. Going to the dentist, Raising Children Network, accessed September 2026
  13. Anxiety, American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), accessed September 2026
  14. Anesthesia and sedation, American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), accessed September 2026
  15. Your baby's first dental visit, American Dental Association (MouthHealthy), accessed September 2026

This article is general information about oral health. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a dentist or doctor who knows your situation. If you have pain, swelling, bleeding that does not settle, or a problem that is getting worse, see a dental professional. In an emergency, contact your local emergency service.

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