What do people with a fear of the dentist do to overcome that fear?

Find a caring: And compassionate dentist who is willing to spend some time to allay your fears. Sadly in this insurance driven world that might be difficult to find as insurance companies pay providers such nominal amounts that providers have to see many more patients in a day to be able to stay in business. Good luck and i hope you can find someone caring and gentle - as dentistry can be painless.

A great dentist: A proper dentist w/ experience can deal w/ your fear in many ways. Anti anxiety meds, nitrous oxide, and a soft gentle approach do wonders to instill confidence in the beginning.. Once a confidence is established, meds and nitrous can usually be decreased.

Break the cycle!: Usually fear keeps some patients away from a dentist until their dental issues become major problems requiring more invasive dental work. If all of your visits to a dentist begin with you in pain, not too much positive reinforcement there for you. My advice is to bite the bullet, explore sedation if necessary, get your oral health in order, than start fresh with regular maintenance visit.