Dental fear is a general fear of dentistry, sitting in a dental office or receiving dental care. Many dentally fearful people will only seek dental care when they have a dental emergency, such as a toothache or dental abscess., which can reinforce their fear of dentistry and lead to a vicious circle. To treat this fear, dentists should be more careful about pain control, take the time to be sure patients are comfortable, and don't go ahead if they aren’t. Patients can go to the first visit with someone they trust, such as a close relative who has no fear of dentists or try relaxation techniques.