Dental fear is unfortunately a self-fulfilling prophecy. Being afraid of the dentist leads people to visit the dentist less often, which leads to the need for more invasive procedures, which leads to more fear. Sedation dentistry helps you overcome your fear and break this damaging cycle.
How the Cycle Works
There are many reasons why people develop dental fear. It may be because of a bad early experience. Often, it’s an association with some of the sights or sounds at the dental office. It may be related to feeling out of control sitting in the dentist chair.
But however it starts, once your dental fear begins it has a profound impact. You begin to avoid dental visits. Without routine checkups and cleanings, you begin to develop more cavities and suffer worse gum disease. Your awareness of what is going wrong in your mouth makes you more anxious about your condition and about the need to go to the dentist.
Ignoring the early warning signs, you continue to a avoid seeing the dentist. Trying to avoid another dental visit, you increase your hygiene regimen with more aggressive brushing and perhaps the addition of a mouth wash. But at this point these hurt your damaged gums as much as help combat bacteria. Teeth may start to loosen, and pain in your mouth becomes constant.
When you finally visit the dentist, it’s as bad as you imagined, if not worse. You have invasive gum disease treatment. There’s a lot of drilling. And after it all, you have dental pain that seems to last a long time.
Breaking the Cycle of Dental Fear
The irony of dental fear is that the thing you fear is caused by your fear. Visiting the dentist is a way to make sure your dental treatment is quick and easy, and often pain-free. In a very real sense, you have nothing to fear but fear itself.
Unfortunately, even knowing that doesn’t always help you overcome it. But sedation dentistry offers the answer. This simple procedure can reduce or eliminate your fear of the dentist and allow you to visit the dentist more regularly. As you keep your regular dental appointments, they become quicker and you experience little, if any, discomfort.
In some cases, people find they are able to visit the dentist without sedation after a while, but others may use sedation dentistry for a lifetime of good oral health.
If you are tired of being ruled by fear, we can help. To learn the benefits of sedation dentistry for yourself, please call (845) 627-7645 for an appointment with a Rockland County dentist at B & D Dental Excellence.
