Dental Phobia Poses Problems for Many

Written by Dentistry TodayFriday, 13 July 2012 10:35



There are many reasons why people don't visit the dentist. A fear of the dentist is a major one.

Dental phobia could prevent some people from going for a routine dental visit for years. The result is obviously poor oral health. A small problem often turns in a larger one that could have easily been prevented.

For some, a bad experience as a child may have set them on the path toward fearing future visits.

But this issue can be fixed for many people based on the advances in many dental offices. There are many techniques and tools in modern dental offices that can alleviate fear. There are also various anesthetics and anti-anxiety drugs available to ease one's nerves.

There are even some dentists that give the patients the ability to say when they want to start and stop treatment after explaining exactly what will be done. This allows the patient to believe they are in control, a feeling many feel they don't possess during a dental visit.

There are even some dentists who could be considered dental phobic specialists, enabling them to work with a patient to overcome his or her dental phobia.

Based on all of these innovations, there should be fewer people who fear dental visits. Lowering the amount of people that fear dental visits would be a big step for more people to maintain solid oral health.