I was listening to the radio the other day and heard an advertisement for a dentist who was very proud of his newest offering: sedation.
I am all for going to the dentist for a checkup and to clean teeth properly. The health benefits of clean teeth and gums are many:
– Reduced chance of infection- Cleaning away bad bacteria and plaque also reduces the risk of getting sick
– Whiter teeth- I notice people who have bright, healthy smiles, it’s true. I also notice stains and holes.
– Fresh breath- having bad breath is not something most people would choose, and having them professionally cleaned helps to reduce the chance of hidden goo making your mouth stink.
– Savings in the pocketbook because of prevented disease- proper hygiene prevents a host of terrible side effects and conditions.
Tooth decay and gum disease can negatively affect health in more ways than just having a displeasing smile and bad breath.
But what if going to the dentist causes extreme fear? Avoiding having teeth cleaned due to an actual anxiety disorder called Dental Anxiety prevents thousands of people from attaining healthy teeth and gums and can lead to dangerous bacterial infections. At the very least, it puts people at risk of losing their natural teeth and sets them up for expensive replacements later.
Do you have Dental Anxiety? Ask yourself these questions:
Do I avoid making an appointment to see the dentist?
Has it been more than 2 years since my last cleaning?
Do I have an uncomfortable physical reaction such as stomach pain, headache, or irritability at the thought of a dental cleaning?
Have I had a bad experience in the past at the dentist’s office?
Do I think the dentist will lecture or embarrass me about the condition of my teeth?
If you answered yes to even one of the questions above, you have some measure of Dental Anxiety that should be addressed.
I am not a fan of sedation when it can be avoided, especially when it is being used in place of conquering the anxiety head-on. This crutch places an unreasonable amount of risk on the part of the dental client that should be addressed with other measures.
If you are suffering from Dental Anxiety, consider for a moment what you might be risking by not seeing a dental professional and then ask yourself: Which is worse…risking known dangers of poor oral hygiene, or overcoming your anxiety and getting a healthy mouth?
Dangers include:
– Gingivitis- (mild gum disease) this makes your gums sore and makes your mouth stink. Left untreated, it progresses to…
– Periodontitis- this is where the gums pull away from the teeth, exposing raw dentin and even nerves
-Bone loss in the jaw- areas of bacterial infection destroy the tissue and eventually the bone in the jaw. This is a progressive and very painful problem.
– Heart disease- dozens of not only oral health studies but also cardiovascular health studies have long stated that dangerous heart disease has been linked to poor oral health and untreated gum disease.
So how can the anxiety be overcome? There are a lot of options…just choose the best combination of steps that work for your situation:
– Call the dentist and tell him or her. You are not alone in this fear of going to the dentist. Your dentist’s office may have great drug-free methods to help you overcome the anxiety.
– Schedule a get-acquainted visit. Many offices will let you come in a few times to get accustomed to the sights, smells, and sounds of the office before your actual visit, and usually there is no charge for this benefit. Sometimes they will give you a tour.
– Talk to someone. Share your concerns with a friend, or better yet, see if the dentist has anyone who has been in a similar situation who would be willing to share his or her experiences and how they overcame their fears.
-Speak up. Let the dentist or hygienist know when you are feeling pain and take a little break. Some offices use code gestures for indicating pain or discomfort and will even give you something to hold (like a bear, stress ball, or other object).
– Plan a special treat for yourself for after the visit. If you haven’t had too much work done, go see a movie or have a special meal. People generally never outgrow the appreciation of a treat or reward for a job well done. You don’t have to give yourself a sticker, but who needs to know if you’ve had a lollypop waiting in the car for after the visit?
-Most importantly, find a way to relax completely before and after the visit. The total body relaxation and emotional release activities in my Blood Pressure program are extremely beneficial and effective in this setting.
Don’t put off getting a healthy mouth, and don’t let anxiety or fear stop you from conquering the dentist’s office. You don’t need sedatives, only the right combination of anxiety-busting methods described above.
EL331005
The fear most people are having now days,including myself is X-rays. There have been more cases of mouth cancer and throat cancer than ever before. And this is non smokers. I seen the warning on a TV show,and received the information in one of my health newsletter from Dr. Douglas..I fear the X-rays and doctors insist on them even if they are not nessarry ,such as when you see a new dentist or for cleaning. One dentist refused to take me as a new patient unless he could get a whole new set of X rays for his records. My dentist wants x-rays every six month plus and they are an unnecessary expense and to many X-rays are very dangerous.
I’ve only had my teeth “cleaned” twice in my life (I”m 82). Before that my teeth were nice and shiny an smooth. The 1st time was by some kind of rotary scraper thing that left my teeth all rough and my teeth were very soon stained again. the 2nd time was by sand blasting which left my teeth feeling much worse to which food would easily stick to. The trouble is that in both casess the dentist never asked if I wanted the procecedure. My opinion is that my teeth were much more liable to rot after th cleaning.
Why dentist recomend cleaning teeth every six months ?. Cleaning can reduce ur tooth size n increase distance between teeth ? okay if i go for cleaning shud i expect my gums grow to original shape. I am scared while cleaning teeth gums too get eroded. Pl advice whether after cleaning, gums will come back to its origional shape.
Indeed I am afraid to go and see a doctor but I have a problem with my teeth because they gets rooten one after another. I have already removed 3 and another 4 are on their way to be removed again. Is there anything I can do to stop my teeth from getting rooten? I am a lady in my 30’s.
I used to work nights, my dentists assistant called early on the day before an appointment insisting I show up early for the appointment. I was somewhat unhappy with her insistance & was rude. At the appointment the Dr. filled 3 teeth that had lost previous fillings. Two of those teeth should have been pulled., Afterward his blond assistant who was also his wife’s replacement just walked off into another part of the building, he ususally talked to me after his work. This is not the only time I’ve heard of dentists being vindictive & hurtful to patients. Now I don’t know who to go to & can’t go back to the usual one. I need dental insurance not the medical being forced on me by the government.
Unless one has dental problems not associated with only cleaning one sholud avoid visiting dentist. It is best to clean teeth after every meal, better if you clean after getting up and before going to sleep and good if cleaned before sleeping
While cleaning follow the recommended style of brushing the teeth, any Dentist may guide for the best way of running brush within the mouth cleening teeth at inner and at the end of teeth rows are essential to clean accumulated bacteria on these remote sides
The questions are good but where are the answers?