Dental Phobia
Dental Phobia & Dental Anxiety Treatment in Newport Beach, CA
Therapy for fear of the dentist · EMDR • Clinical Hypnotherapy • CBT • Somatic Approaches
Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC, CHT is a Newport Beach psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, phobias and trauma, including fear associated with dental treatment. Her goal isn't to provide dental care — it's to treat the fear that may be preventing you from getting it. Practicing since 1997, she is a Certified EMDR Therapist and Certified Hypnotherapist serving Newport Beach, Corona del Mar and surrounding Orange County communities.
Written and clinically reviewed by Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC
Psychotherapist · EMDR Certified · Certified Hypnotherapist · Author of Anxiety Annihilated · Practicing since 1997
Are you avoiding the dentist because of fear?
You know you need to make the appointment. You may even pick up the phone to schedule it — and then put it off again.
For someone experiencing dental anxiety or dental phobia, simply thinking about sitting in the dental chair can trigger an intense physical and emotional response.
Dental anxiety can become a cycle
Fear leads to avoidance. Avoidance delays dental care. Delayed care may result in more complicated dental treatment. More complicated treatment can reinforce the original fear. And the cycle continues.
Psychotherapy can help address the thoughts, memories, physical reactions and avoidance behaviors that contribute to that cycle.
What can cause dental phobia?
There isn't one single cause. Dental fear may be associated with:
- A previous painful dental experience
- A frightening childhood dental experience
- Fear of needles or injections
- Fear of pain
- Fear of drilling or dental instruments
- Sensitivity to sounds, smells or sensations
- Fear of choking or gagging
- Feeling trapped in the dental chair
- Feeling unable to communicate
- Fear of losing control
- Embarrassment about the condition of your teeth
- Fear of receiving bad news
- A broader anxiety or panic response
A focused approach to dental phobia
Arolyn has developed a structured five-session phobia protocol based on her clinical experience treating anxiety, fears and phobias. Treatment is individualized and may incorporate EMDR when dental fear is associated with a previous distressing or painful experience; clinical hypnotherapy, which Arolyn may use to help clients practice focused attention, relaxation and therapeutic responses to dental-related triggers; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, to identify catastrophic predictions and thinking patterns that reinforce dental fear; somatic techniques, which help clients recognize and respond differently to the strong physical sensations dental anxiety can produce; solution-focused therapy, keeping treatment organized around the practical goal of obtaining necessary dental care; and The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™, Arolyn's framework for addressing anxiety, phobias and trauma.
The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™ for dental phobia
- A — Assess: identify exactly what triggers your dental fear and what you predict will happen.
- R — Reframe: examine thoughts and interpretations that may reinforce anxiety.
- O — Observe: become more aware of thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and avoidance behaviors.
- L — Learn: develop therapeutic strategies for responding differently to dental-related triggers.
- Y — Yield: create space for a new response instead of automatically following the established fear pattern.
- N — Normalize: practice and integrate healthier responses so obtaining dental care can become more manageable.
What if I had a traumatic dental experience?
For some people, dental anxiety is connected to a specific event. Perhaps a procedure was unexpectedly painful. Maybe you felt trapped, frightened or unable to communicate. Sometimes the experience occurred during childhood but the emotional and physical response continues decades later.
When appropriate, therapy can address the distressing memory as well as the current triggers associated with dental care.
What if I'm afraid of needles?
Fear of dental injections may be part of dental phobia or may represent a broader fear of needles. Treatment can focus specifically on the aspects of injections that trigger anxiety rather than treating dental fear as one single problem.
What if I'm embarrassed about my teeth?
Avoiding dental treatment for years can create another barrier: shame. Someone may eventually become as afraid of being judged by the dentist as they are of the dental procedure itself. This can intensify avoidance.
Therapy provides a confidential setting to address fear, embarrassment, avoidance and the thoughts that may be preventing someone from seeking care.
What if I panic in the dental chair?
For some people, the primary fear becomes: “What if I panic and can't get out?” The reclining chair, equipment, inability to speak normally during a procedure or feeling confined can trigger a sense of losing control.
Treatment can address both dental-specific fears and fear of the anxiety response itself.
Can dental phobia be treated in five sessions?
Arolyn has developed a focused five-session protocol for phobias, including dental phobia. However, each person's history and symptoms are different.
Five sessions describe the structure of Arolyn's focused protocol and do not guarantee that every client's dental phobia will be resolved within five sessions. Treatment length and outcomes vary.
About Arolyn Burns
Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC, CHT is a California licensed psychotherapist who has practiced since 1997, specializing in anxiety, phobias, trauma and chronic pain.
She is a Certified EMDR Therapist and Certified Hypnotherapist, the author of Anxiety Annihilated and creator of The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™. Her private practice serves clients in Newport Beach, Corona del Mar and surrounding Orange County communities.
Your fear doesn't have to make your dental decisions
If anxiety has kept you away from the dentist, treatment can begin before you ever sit in the dental chair. The first step is understanding the fear and developing a plan for addressing it.
Schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation with Arolyn Burns.
Who you would be working with
Arolyn Burns, LMFT, LPCC is a Newport Beach psychotherapist specializing in anxiety, phobias, trauma and chronic pain. She provides EMDR therapy and clinical hypnotherapy and has been practicing since 1997.
- CA LMFT #MFC40173, LPCC #LPC54
- M.A. Clinical Psychology, Azusa Pacific University
- 10× Best Newport Beach Therapist
- 2333 E Coast Highway #C, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625
Creator of The A.R.O.L.Y.N. Method™, the framework behind this work.
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In-person appointments at 2333 E Coast Highway #C, Corona Del Mar, CA 92625, and secure video sessions anywhere in California. Mon–Wed 11am–8pm, Thu 11am–2pm (by appointment only).