FACE YOUR FEAR Going to the Dentist

Does the idea of opening up and saying "Ahhh" make you scream "Auugh!"? Here's how to deal.

- LISA MULCAHY

If you dread lying back in a chair while a D.D.S. sticks pointy tools into your mouth, you're not alone. It's estimated that more than a third of people in the U.S. are afraid of going to the dentist; some are so terrified that they skip dental care entirely.

In many cases, fear of the dentist (dentophobia) is based on a prior painful experience, such as having had teeth extracted in childhood, says Sam Von Reiche, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist in Ridgewood, NJ.