When Steve was in his early 20s he swore he\u2019d never visit a dentist again. Now, 20 years later it was obvious he\u2019d kept that promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As he sat in my office looking totally miserable I couldn\u2019t help noticing that his teeth were stained and chipped. His gums were red and there were large cavities in his front teeth. I felt like I was watching his teeth rotting as we talked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know it\u2019s dumb,\u201d he said, looking down at his shaking hands, \u201cbut every time I\u2019d think about going to the dentist I\u2019d get so scared I\u2019d actually feel sick.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally the pain of NOT taking care of his teeth had become worse than the stress of facing down his fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
More than Pain<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just that my teeth hurt,\u201d he said softly, \u201calthough they do — particularly when I eat anything hot or cold or hard. It\u2019s all the other stuff. Like knowing my breath must smell awful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t believe how much mouthwash I go through. But even with that, and all the breath mints I use I feel like I shouldn\u2019t get close to people \u2013 not even my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He sighed. \u201cI really miss that…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018And it\u2019s not just my personal life,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll the problems with my mouth are messing me up at work, too. For example I KNOW I just got passed over for promotion because of the way I look. I mean, would YOU hire someone whose mouth looks the way mine does for a job that includes meeting new customers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLook,\u201d he said, his shoulders slumping, \u201cIt\u2019s not like I don\u2019t know I have problem. EVERYBODY knows I do. Even my 7 year old niece. She actually asked my sister if I didn\u2019t like her because I never smiled at her the way her other uncles did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Common Problem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I couldn\u2019t help feeling sorry for Steve. But, fortunately I had more to offer him than sympathy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, I was able to reassure him that he wasn\u2019t alone. Dr. Peter Milgrom, Director of the Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington estimates that between 5% and 8% of Americans avoid EVER going to the dentist because they\u2019re just too frightened. And as many as 20% are so anxious they only go when it\u2019s absolutely necessary.1 <\/sup>That works out to a whopping 40 million Americans.2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n Roughly two thirds of them say they\u2019re afraid of dentists because of a bad experience in the past3 <\/sup>\u2013 which turned out to be why Steve had been avoiding dental visits for decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Help for Dental Fear<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even better, I was able to reassure him that today dentists understand how he feels. As Dr. William Kuttler, spokesperson for the Academy of General Dentistry puts it \u201cHelping patients overcome their fear of visiting the dentist has become just as important as mastering the latest clinical technique.\u201d 4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n I know how painfully anxious people with dental fear can feel and I\u2019m committed to easing that fear and making it possible for you to get the care you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s more, I have a variety of techniques to help \u2013 beginning<\/em> withlistening respectfully to your fears, helping you gain a sense of control and using various distraction strategies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our Solution: Sedation Dentistry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sedation for dentistry<\/strong> is the use of medications to provide relaxation and comfort during dental procedures. while you sleep, we can complete all dental treatment in a safe, pain-free environment. With these medications you\u2019re so comfortable and stress-free you may choose longer visits in which we can do large amounts of work. In fact, in many cases I can complete most if not all the needed work in one or two visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if anxiety is keeping you from having the healthy attractive smile you deserve, let\u2019s talk. Because \u201cFearless Dentistry\u201d is not only possible \u2013 it\u2019s simple, safe and available right here at my office.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n _______<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n By Dr. Mariliza LaCap<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n