Reporting a problem such as bleeding gums to your dentist is a simple proposition for most people but many suffer from feelings of anxiety about visiting their dentist. Avoiding going to the dentist probably means that you are suffering from some form of dental anxiety and you are not alone. A recent study showed that one in every ten British men and one in five women feel anxious about visiting the dentist.
There are many causes for dental phobia. Childhood memories play a vivid part in the way we experience things as adults and if you found going to the dentist difficult when you were younger then these feelings can be hard to shift. Perhaps you underwent particularly invasive surgery in childhood and the persistent memories put you off going again.
If you have not been to the dentist in a while then you may feel embarrassed about the state that your mouth has got into. This can be heightened if you are not satisfied with the relationship that you have with your dentist. A personal disagreement can easily lead to you feeling negative about going to the surgery. This is especially so if you feel that your dentist was not sympathetic to a past problem which you took to them.
Besides all this, negative stereotypes of dentists and dental surgeries persist in the media and can be furthered by colleagues and peers. For some people, visiting the dentist is avoided because the simple realities of a busy life in which it is perceived there is no time to spend a morning at the surgery.
If you suffer from dental phobia, it is important to try and deal with it so that your mouth can be examined regularly by a professional. By allowing your dentist to look at your teeth and gums you might avoid the need for invasive surgery because any problems can be identified early before they have a chance to progress.
Pain-free gels mean that many procedures are not nearly as uncomfortable as they used to be and dentists are increasingly concerned about relaxing their patients, often with DVDs or music. The new techniques which dentists use – including cutting edge digital x-rays and the associated computer programmes ” often mean that procedure times are dramatically reduced and can fit around even the busiest schedules. For example, some porcelain crowns can be constructed, ready for fitting in only six minutes.
The most important thing to bear in mind is that there are always other dentists out there and if you feel that your relationship with your dentist is not all it should be then you should look elsewhere. It is better to change your surgery than not visit your existing dentist.
Overcome your dental phobia by building up a good relationship with your dentist so that problems like bleeding gums can be rectified swiftly and painlessly.