---
title: "What Is Dental anxiety? Dental Glossary | Town Center Dental"
description: "Dental anxiety is fear or worry about going to the dentist or having dental treatment. It is common, and it can lead people to put off care."
url: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-anxiety
publisher: Town Center Dental
phone: +1-636-273-5866
quote: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment
---

Sedation and Anesthesia

# Dental anxiety

Dental anxiety is fear or worry about going to the dentist or having dental treatment. It is common, and it can lead people to put off care.

Dental anxiety is the fear of going to see a dentist and getting dental treatment. Many people feel it, and some avoid visits because of it. Delay can raise the chance of dental problems, which can make later visits harder.

The ADA suggests three steps. Speak up about your worries, distract yourself with music or a stress ball, and use breathing exercises. Agreeing on a hand signal to pause can help you feel in control.

When anxiety is very strong it may be called [dental phobia](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-phobia). Some patients also ask about [sedation](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/sedation-monitoring) options. Town Center Dental describes its own approach on the [dental anxiety management](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/dental-anxiety-management) page.

[Town Center Dental can helpDental Anxiety Management](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/dental-anxiety-management)

## Related terms

-   [Dental phobia](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-phobia)
-   [Numbing (dental numbness)](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/numbing-dental-numbness)
-   [Sedation monitoring](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/sedation-monitoring)
-   [Local anesthetic](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/local-anesthetic)

## Sources

1.  [ADA MouthHealthy: Anxiety](https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/anxiety)
2.  [NIH PMC: Dental Anxiety and Influencing Factors in Adults](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9777862/)

## Ready when you are

[Request an appointment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment)[Call (636) 273-5866](tel:+1-636-273-5866)