Aside from death and taxes, most adults have a great fear of the dentist. It may stem from a bad experience during childhood or adulthood. Specific noises and smells can send a grown man screaming into the night for his mommy. The good news is that dentistry today is a whole new ballgame. Children love to come to the dentist and we strive to give them a great first visit. They ride the chair, shoot the water gun and play with “Mr. Thirsty”. We count the “20 excellent teeth” they have, remove plaque and check them carefully for decay. And then we “tickle” the teeth with the polisher. They go home with a goody bag filled with dental products to help them keep their teeth shipshape, and they go home with a smile. If there is any type of resistance we cut the appointment short, because not all children are ready for their first visit at the same chronological age. Adults can have that same experience. Come ride the chair!

 

From our experience we have put together a “top ten” list of reasons that adults avoid the dentist.

 

1.                  the fear

2.                  the expense

3.                  the fear

4.                  scheduling issues

5.                  the fear

6.                  the insurance won’t pay

7.                  the fear

8.                  embarrassment because they haven’t been  in a while

9.                  denial (nothing hurts so nothing is wrong)

10.              the fear

 

Fear, we find, is a great motivator…if it moves you towards something you need instead of away from it. Dental care is an important factor in your overall health. It has been clinically proven that good oral health is essential to good general health. Poor oral health contributes to other diseases, such as heart attacks, premature or low birth weight babies, and diabetes. There is more to be afraid of if you avoid the dental chair than by actually sitting in one!

 

Teeth are sensory organs, all 32 of them, and they have a built-in cellular system that is sensitive to heat, cold, and pain. These small pearly organs have the capacity to repair themselves when a cavity begins. The trick is early detection….sound familiar? Like any other physical disease early detection is always the key to success. Fear not, we have the technology to diagnose and treat oral problems that is far removed from days of yore. Treatments are kinder to the patient and dentists today are more restorative than their predecessors. We encourage our patient to keep their teeth for a lifetime.

 

Dentists are more and more cognizant of the fact that people are fearful of seeing them. Office staff work hard to make a nervous patient calmer, and sometimes fears can be calmed by mild sedatives or the use of ipods, disc players, or by listening to an audio book. Many patients just plug in and some even fall asleep during a procedure. Building a trusting relationship with your dental provider is key. If someone is going to be poking around in your mouth you’d better feel comfortable with that individual. The smells in modern dental offices are different. No more oil of clove smell…most offices have other fragrances. The sounds are not the same because the technology has changed. Drills, while not a fun sound, have a different hum, much lower than what we remember from childhood. And the hygienist who cleans your teeth have different instruments and far more control over them than in the past.

 

The lifestyle we are accustomed to today is not conducive to great oral health. Diets with processed food, high carbohydrate intake and full of sugars will make your mouth a playground for bacteria and toxins which attack the teeth and weaken our immune systems. Changing your diet to include more fruits and vegetables, vitamins, and minerals all help to improve our overall health as well as our oral health. There are other factors that can contribute to oral problems such as smoking, age, sex, ethnicity, oral hygiene standards, heredity, and stress. Nothing replaces effective brushing, flossing and having regular cleanings and exams in the battle against tooth decay.

 

Your first and all important step is to make an appointment for a cleaning and exam NOW. Don’t worry about the fact that you haven’t seen a dentist in a long time, the important thing is to recognize that seeing a dentist is important to your health. A good dentist will be understanding, and work from the present to get you into a regulated oral health program, fixing whatever needs to be fixed and motivating you to want to do it. We are professionals after all. Besides, you get to ride in the chair and go home with that goody bag.

 

So, what are you waiting for? By giving dentistry another chance you may find that it is an experience that is not unpleasant at all. Having your teeth cleaned by a hygienist who is sensitive to your needs makes a world of difference. By having regular cleanings and check-ups you may be able to avoid the costly repairs that come from neglect. Your mouth is like anything else, it requires regular maintenance. Which we can provide, by helping you overcome your fears.

 

Want to hear more and fear less? Meet Dr. Brusco at a FREE informative seminar on Thursday night, March 25^th at the Cornerstone Chapel, Rte 23 North in Pompton Plains, from 7pm-8:30pm. We promise he won’t be scary. To reserve your seat please call 973-838-5862.