Dispelling A Few Dental Myths and Misunderstandings
Our Burton dentist takes a look at some common misunderstandings surrounding dental visits.
It is no secret that a fear of visiting the dentist is one of the most common phobias around, perhaps beaten into second place only by a fear of spiders! Whilst no one is going to pretend that a dental procedure is fun; nor is losing teeth or having foul smelling breath caused by gum disease. For these reasons, most people do see their dentist on a regular basis, however nervous they are.
Some fears about dental visits though are based on little more than a misunderstanding about dentists and their relationship with their patients. Our Burton dentist, Mike Allen, takes a look at some of the more common misunderstandings below.
1. Dentists have a low tolerance of nervous dental patients.
Many people that hold this view have probably not visited a dental practice for many years. Whilst it may be true, to some degree, that a few ‘old school’ dentists in the past may have swayed towards this view, no modern dentist who expects to run a successful dental practice would feel this way. With dental phobia now being widely acknowledged, dentists are fully trained, not only in dental procedures, but how to help nervous patients to be at ease. Success in doing so is in both the interest of the patient, but also the dentist, as it enables procedures to be carried out faster and more successfully.
2. I have no control during a procedure
As a patient, you have every right to be respected, and, at Mike Allen’s Dental Practice, we can assure you that you will receive only the best treatment available. During any procedure, we encourage patients to raise their hand if they are experiencing discomfort. Naturally, once started, any procedure needs to be completed for both the security of the tooth and the comfort of the patient. Allowing the patient time to relax, or perhaps administering a little more local anaesthetic though, can make the experience much less stressful for the patient.
3. The dentist will be judgemental about the state of my teeth
Our long-standing Burton dental team are here for one reason only; and that is to help our patients have healthy teeth and gums, and, whilst it is true that most patients look after their teeth; from time to time, we do see severe cases of poor oral health. This is what we are here for though, and make no judgement about a patient’s lifestyle choices (although we may offer advice on changes that need to be made for better oral health). Our only aim is to provide appropriate treatment for each individual patient, whether a small simple filling is needed, or extensive full mouth treatment to restore a patient’s mouth to full health.
4. My teeth are healthy but look awful. There is nothing a dentist can do.
If you haven’t visited a dental practice for many years, it is not surprising that you hold this view. The reality though is that there are now many cosmetic dental procedures that are available that are designed to improve the appearance of unsatisfactory looking teeth.
From simple teeth whitening procedures, through to invisible orthodontics and dental implant procedures, cosmetic dental care can now dramatically improve your smile beyond what you may have thought possible.
We hope that this blog post has helped a little, and further advice is available from our friendly Burton dental team by calling Mike Allen’s Dental Practice on 01283 845345.