Many Americans suffer from fear of the Dentist or dental phobia. Dental phobias can rage in severity from mild anxiety to full-scale panic attacks. Fear of the Dentist may stem from prior painful or negative experiences, feeling embarrassed about neglecting your teeth, feeling helpless or out of control in a dental office situation or some other reason. Whatever the reason, dental phobia causes many patients to avoid getting regular and needed dental care. This can lead to a host of serious oral health problems including tooth decay, tooth infections, gum disease and even tooth loss.
Seeing a Dentist regularly and practicing good hygiene at home can help to prevent problems such as tooth decay, tooth infections and gum disease. However, if any of these problems do occur, it is equally important to get the appropriate dental treatment as soon as possible. Failing to treat decayed teeth or infected teeth and gums can lead to more serious and painful dental problems such as further tooth decay, abscesses and tooth loss. Often times, patients with dental phobia will only visit the Dentist when they are in extreme pain. By this time, a problem that could have been easily prevented or handled with a simple procedure such as a filling may require more a more serious procedure such as a root canal or an extraction.
If you suffer from dental phobia, there are several things you can do to make the experience of going to the Dentist less stressful. The first is to find a qualified Dentist who understands dental phobia and provides compassionate dental care in a warm and caring environment. You many also want to find a Dentist who offers Sedation Dentistry. Sedation Dentistry involves administering oral sedative medications to keep patients relaxed and comfortable during dental procedures. Some Dentists are highly trained to provide this type of Sedation in a traditional dental office setting.
Don’t risk your oral health by avoiding the Dentist. If you have not been to a Dentist in a while or if you are experiencing dental pain, make an appointment with a qualified Dentist in your local area today.
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