Dr. Katie ToThe Wellness Dentist, CEO and Founder of Center for Wellness Dentistry and Wellness Dentist Institute.

Scared of the Dentist? Here's Where to Start

18 Jul 2026 · 0 min

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0:28

In this brief segment, Dr. Katie To explains that dental fear and anxiety often stem from personal bad experiences or hearing about others' negative encounters. She advises a gradual, step‑by‑step approach to overcoming this fear: first, simply make a phone call to schedule an appointment and choose a dental office where you feel comfortable. Building trust with the dental team is essential. She emphasizes that the initial visit is typically a conversational, introductory meeting—allowing the dentist to get to know the patient and vice‑versa—rather than a procedure, which helps reduce anxiety and sets the foundation for future care.

Now, patients really have dental fear and anxiety either from really bad past experiences or knowing somebody that had a bad past experience. Really taking things step by step. The first step is really just making a call, getting yourself into the dental office, and building that trust with someone that you're comfortable with. And knowing that your first appointment typically is more of a conversation, getting to know the dentist, the dentist gets to know you, versus going in and having a procedure done right away.