可怕的牙医，你有“看牙恐惧症”吗?

你是否一听到钻牙的声音就开始莫名地害怕?你是否一看到打麻药的针头就开始头皮发麻?你是否一躺倒牙椅上就开始不自主血压飙升?甚至，你一想到要看牙就恨不得一溜烟逃跑，你可能真的有牙科恐惧症。

Dental fear is the fear of dentistry and of receiving dental care. It is estimated that as many as 75% of US adults experience some degree of dental fear, from mild to severe.

“看牙恐惧症”指的是对牙科及接受牙科治疗的恐惧。据估计，美国成年人中有75%有不同程度的看牙恐惧症，有的程度较轻，有的则很严重。

Many dentally fearful people will only seek dental care when they have a dental emergency, such as a toothache or dental abscess.

很多有看牙恐惧症的人只有在遇到牙科急症时才会去看牙，比如牙痛或者牙脓肿。

People who are very fearful of dental care often experience a "cycle of avoidance," in which they avoid dental care due to fear until they experience a dental emergency requiring invasive treatment, which can reinforce their fear of dentistry.

非常害怕看牙的人常会经历“逃避循环”，他们由于恐惧而逃避看牙，直到他们遇到牙科急症，而这又需要进行侵入性治疗，这种治疗又会加重他们的恐惧。

Women tend to report more dental fear than men, and younger people tend to report being more dentally fearful than older individuals.

女性比男性更害怕看牙，年轻人比老年人更害怕看牙。

People tend to report being more fearful of more invasive procedures, such as oral surgery, than they are of less invasive treatment, such as professional dental cleanings, or prophylaxis.

据报道，人们更害怕侵入性治疗，比如口腔外科，而对微创治疗则没有那么担心，比如专业洗牙或牙科预防。