Afraid of the Dentist? How EFT Can Soothe Your Root Canal Blues
Written by JoAnn SkyWatcher
I recently went to the dentist for a three-hour appointment that included a root canal. I don’t know if you’re afraid of the dentist, but simply reading that sentence is terrifying!
According to the American Association of Endodontists, 80 percent of adult Americans are afraid of the dentist, an experience known as dental phobia. Thankfully, I came up with a tapping routine to clear my anxiety about getting a root canal.
Tap Away Your Dental Phobia
On a scale of 1 to 10, my dental phobia was at level 8. Therefore, I decided to see if I could tap it away.
Tapping on my karate-chop point, I started with:
- Even though there is a part of me that doesn’t want to tap on this, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- Even though there is a part of me that doubts that this will work, I deeply and completely love and accept myself
- Even though this appointment will take 3 hours, and that’s a long time to have my mouth open with that crazy dentist drilling away, I deeply and completely love and accept myself
- Even though I hate going to the dentist, I deeply and completely love and accept myself
On my first round, I tapped on each point saying, “root canal blues.”
For my second round, I tapped on each point saying:
Eyebrow: What can I do, this procedure needs to be done
Side of Eye: I really hate that I have to get a root canal
Under Eye: I wish I hadn’t eaten all that sugar as a kid
Under Nose: I wish I had taken better care of my teeth
Chin Point: Oh well, this needs to be done
Collar Bone: I’m going to listen to music while the dentist is working on my mouth. That should help.
Under Arm: I just would rather be anywhere else than getting this root canal
Top of Head: If I don’t get the root canal, the pain in my mouth will get worse. I just hate sitting here for 3 hours.
For my third round, I once again said, “root canal blues” as I tapped on each point. Then I checked my intensity; it had dropped to 4! Sure, I’ve always been afraid of the dentist, but I was definitely feeling less anxious!
What to Do When the Dental Phobia Returns
Just then however, an unexpected thought popped into my head:
“This is a root canal from hell!”
Rather than panicking, I decided to use those words on my next round of EFT tapping, which actually made me laugh! I was determined to beat this dental phobia, so I started tapping once again on my karate chop point. I said with great enthusiasm:
- Even though I don’t want to get this root canal, I really don’t have a choice. I’ve got to have it done, and I love and accept myself
- Even though I hate having this root canal, I deeply love and accept myself
- Even though I don’t like having my mouth open for 3 hours, I deeply love and accept myself
The first round I tapped on each point, and said with vigor: “root canal from hell!”
My second round included:
Eyebrow: I really hate getting this root canal
Side of Eye: I can’t think of anything worse than getting a root canal
Under Eye: I guess it could be worse not to get a root canal and to have a really bad tooth ache
Under Nose: Ouch, I would hate that
Chin Point: I have to do this
Collar Bone: No, I don’t
Under Arm: Yes, I do. I really don’t have a choice
Top of Head: I don’t want to!
This time, my intensity dropped to around a 2. I did one last round of tapping before I went to the dentist.
Eyebrow: I don’t feel as much anxiety around having this root canal. It needs to be done. I will be able to handle what happens. I will remember to mentally tap when I am in the chair.
Side of Eye: I don’t feel as anxious
Under Eye: I will remember to mentally tap if I need it while I am in the chair
Under Nose: I will tell the dentist about my neck pain if I need to
Chin Point: I can do this
Collar Bone: I will relax and listen to music while I am in the chair
Under Arm: I am whole and complete
Top of Head: I will remember to breathe
When I first sat in the dentist’s chair, I remembered to imagine my dentist’s guardian angel and my guardian angel working together to do the very best job for me. The most painful part was when the dentist gave me the Novocain. It only hurt for about 10 seconds, but if I have to have work done on my teeth again, I will remember to add a part about getting the shot of Novocain to my EFT routine.
My dentist had 3 dental emergencies before he was able to work on me, so I did mental EFT to keep myself relaxed while I was waiting, first in his office and later in the chair. My dental phobia had subsided, and anytime I started to feel even a tinge of anxiety, I would do a long conscious inhalation and exhalation. I came prepared with my own ear buds and music, which was helpful, too.
If you tend to be afraid of the dentist and have to pay him or her a visit soon, use whatever parts of my script that work for you. Of course, skip the parts that you don’t like, and make your own personal additions based on how you are feeling and the thoughts that come to mind.
Additionally, you may want to go back and clear any negative experiences that you have had in the past as they are likely the source of your feelings. Regardless, if you use EFT to get rid of your nagging worries, you’ll quickly see that you don’t have to be afraid of the dentist!
How afraid of the dentist are you? How have you tried dealing with your fear? Let us know in the comments below!
