Don’t fear the dentist!
Root Canal London
According to research published recently in the British Dental Journal, people who have a severe fear of the dentist are more likely to have a poorer standard of oral health. This might seem obvious – after all, people who suffer from odontophobia, or severe dental phobia, are less likely to attend regular check ups with their dentists and it stands to reason that their oral health will be affected as a result.
But the study, which was carried out by King’s College London, revealed some other interesting information – specifically, that women are more likely to be dental phobic than men. Quite why this would be the case is unclear, but it does mean that women are at greater risk of dental caries and periodontal disease than men, on account of their anxieties about visiting the dentist.
Interestingly, however, it has also been shown that women are more likely to brush their teeth regularly at home and, in general, are better at looking after their mouths – which could be their biggest defence if they are too scared to visit the dentist.
Indeed, maintaining a good home care routine is incredibly important! Making sure to brush your teeth twice a day is crucial, as is taking care to clean the spaces in between your teeth, where plaque and bacteria are more likely to build up. In the end, this is half of the battle when it comes to maintaining a good standard of oral health. But it does remain the case that going to the dentist is imperative to keeping those teeth in great condition.
So, if you suffer from acute dental phobia, the best thing you can do is discuss these issues with your dentist! You are by no means alone in fearing dental treatment – many other people do – which means your dentist is very likely to understand exactly how you feel, and will be in the best position to help!
For example, here at EndoCare, we have developed a number of different approaches to help treat patients who are scared – from offering gentle sedation, pain-free injections using advanced technology, video headsets to distract you during treatment and, above all, a kind and caring team who will always look after you.
Root Canal London
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/Endocare/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/EndoCareDentist
