Are you afraid of the dentist? Do you consider cancelling your appointment days before, or not showing up at all? Do you feel helpless and uncomfortable in the cleaning chair? If you are, you aren't alone. Over 75% of Americans experience dental phobia to some degree, 10% are extremely terrified and reluctant to get a dental checkup. That's a lot of people! In this article, we want to go over why people fear the dentist, and steps you can take to make your visit to the dentist a lot easier on your mind. Why Do People Fear the Dentist? There are quite a lot of reasons why people develop a bad taste for dentist in their mouths. From harsh dentist personalities, to injury, to terrible experiences, all of these can affect someone starting at a really young age. Most anxieties start at childhood, when as young kids we are learning about the world. Our body and mind are learning about the dangers in the world. Accidents such as a pick scraping against the gum accidentally o