Fear of going to the dentist? Know that he can smell your panic

If you're the type who is starting to shudder at the thought of having a periodic appointment with your dentist, it's time to take courage before you schedule. Otherwise, your teeth may be at risk.

Not that they are crazy psychopaths who want to get out of their mouth without permission, none of that. We now have scientific evidence that these professionals - like all human beings - are directly influenced by the feelings of those who live with them. When we are experiencing certain emotions, our body emits specific odors that are felt by others.

And what does this have to do with dentists specifically? It's just that Italian researcher Valentina Parma of SISSA (Trieste International School of Advanced Studies) investigated the category to understand the impact of people's anxiety on procedures, as dentists really get on the nerves of many people.

She used a very unusual methodology, but it helped to relate the body odors of patients to the error rate of professionals.

After selecting 24 volunteer patients, all university students, the researcher asked them to hand the scientists two T-shirts - one worn during a stressful exam, and one during a quiet lecture.

The garments were soaked with an odor masking product and presented to dental students, who said they could not tell which ones had been used in tense situations and which had not.

Later, the group of future dentists performed procedures on mannequins wearing the clothes. Interestingly, their performance was significantly worse when they were "attending" to the dolls who wore their blouses with the scent of fear.

This led investigators to realize that while we cannot physically sense specific fear-related odors, something in our bodies is directly influenced by someone else's anxiety and nervousness, probably because of some molecule involved in this hormone exchange.

Now, researchers should move forward with the study to analyze whether the impact is the same on experienced professionals and to evaluate other areas, such as medical appointments.

Masking the fear

With this discovery, it is evident that one must face the office chair safely to ensure the success of the procedures. But how to overcome the fear of the dentist?

Would a good shower and perfume before going to the dentist be a solution? In fact, this will not necessarily solve the problem, as in the study itself the clothes were subjected to an anti-odor spray and yet the students were affected. Nor does the scientist envision the possibility of developing an anti-stress deodorant or something - although that was a good idea, wasn't it?

The solution remains the classic one: take a deep breath, control your anxiety, and trust the professional you choose to take care of your oral health. With luck, he will have firm hands and will not be influenced by his nervousness.

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