Are you one of the millions of people who is scared of the dentist? If so, have you ever wondered what it is that frightens you so much? Did you know that if you sit in a random room with people, it is likely that someone there is afraid of the dentist? In fact, around 20% of people in this country don’t visit the dentist at all due to this fear. One Aetna dentist in Clinton MD has decided to put this issue on the table.
Why People Are Afraid and How They Can Overcome This
The Aetna dentist has revealed the following reasons as to why people don’t go to the dentist:
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Fear of pain. At the dentist’s, we hear scraping, filling, drilling, and filing, and that sounds like it hurts a lot. Furthermore, there are all those shiny metal tools with sharp edges that don’t look particularly entertaining either. However, there is now really good dental anesthesia available, which means that you no longer have to feel any pain. Usually, you can also agree with your dentist that they stop if you raise your hand, at which point you can tell them the procedure hurts too much, for instance.
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Fear of needles. Unfortunately, you will have to feel the pinch of the needle if you go to the dentist. They inject your gums with novocaine, so you don’t feel the rest. The pinch is very brief and quick, and it really doesn’t hurt that much. Just close your eyes and you will barely notice it.
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Fear or being out of control. This is a very understandable fear. You have to sit in a dental chair with your mouth open, and simply trust the dentist to do their job. You must understand, however, that these are passionate people with a great deal of training.
Usually, your dentist will be very sensitive to the fact that you are afraid. As such, they will agree to stop if you raise your hand, for instance. They will also explain everything that is going to happen first, so that you know what to expect. Furthermore, you can ask them about their experience and qualifications if that sets your mind at ease more.
A final fear that some people have is that they will be told off by their dentist for not going for a long period of time. The dentist is likely to make mention of that, but not to chastise you. Rather, they want to make sure that you understand that they will know if you avoid going to the dentist, and that you will know as well. After all, if you don’t regularly have your teeth cleaned, then you may develop a range of dental health problems later on in life, many of which will require significant dental intervention to resolve. As such, by not going to the dentist now, you may end up having to spend much more time there at a later stage.