Proper oral hygiene and regular visits to the dentist are crucial in keeping a healthy smile. However, when people are afraid, they don’t go often enough, and some people refuse to go at all. The British Dental Health Foundation surveyed people who didn’t see a dentist on a routine basis. The foundation asked why they didn’t go. The primary reason for 36% of responders was fear! So why specifically are people afraid to go to the dentist?
Some people are hesitant because they think any trip to the dentist will be painful. Others may be hesitant to go back due to a prior bad experience. Often the experience was before current advancements in pain-free dentistry. Some people may be embarrassed to show someone, even a dental professional, a mouth full of bad or failing teeth.
A study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) found that the reasons can be complex. Fear of the dentist may be caused by any combination of the reasons listed above. It could even be the influence of friends, family, or media. Some personality traits can also contribute to developing a fear of the dentist. This is perfectly normal, and nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to many people!
That said, allowing fear to affect when you go to the dentist can have negative consequences. Delayed treatments contribute to poorer health and the need for more expensive treatments down the road. This is the most obvious result, but not the only one! You could also be inadvertently passing that fear on to those around you. It’s better for not just your own well-being, but your family’s if you find a solution for your fear.
No matter your reason for avoiding dental work, you don’t have to be afraid to go to the dentist when you’re a part of the Woodstock General & Implant Dentistry family.
At Woodstock General & Implant Dentistry, we believe in treating “the whole person.” That’s why we base our practice around providing you the best procedures available in dentistry. No matter how big or small your dental problems are, we make every one of your visits a positive and pain-free experience. If you’re still afraid to go to the dentist, we provide the best and most advanced of sedation dentistry, so you can fix your smile without letting your anxiety get in the way.
The team at Woodstock General & Implant Dentistry knows that you deserve a life free from the constraints and pain of major dental problems. We strive to provide the most comprehensive and compassionate care we can to every one of our patients, all in a stress-free environment. We understand that your oral health affects almost every aspect of your overall wellness, that’s why we make it our commitment to you to ensure your best oral health every step of the way.