Avoiding the doctor and dentist is a pretty common habit people fall into. But, as you might expect, the fear that keeps you from visiting becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy once you finally do.
There's good evidence that conflict avoidance takes a toll on our mental health. It's "eat the frog" all over again - do the hard thing so the hard thing isn't looming.
Dread seems to be at the root of a love of avoidance. But what's the upside of trying to avoid the unavoidable? However distasteful a thing might be, thinking about it and planning for it can - at the very least - take some of the fear out of it.