Common dental fears and how to overcome them?
For some people, just thinking about a visit to the dentist is scarier than watching a horror film. Anxiety caused by fear of dental procedures can stand in the way of taking the best care of your mouth. A study showed that 24% of people who needed a dental implant, and even wanted one, refused treatment because of fear. If you’re afraid of a particular dental procedure, we have good news for you – visiting the dentist isn’t as scary as you think. With modern advances in sedation and pain management, routine dental procedures such as root canal treatment can be completely painless.
1. Wisdom teeth
When it comes to wisdom tooth extraction, most patients associate it with a very unpleasant, frightening process, but the terrible scenario they imagine is outdated! Today there is no reason to worry about unbearable pain during the procedure, because most dentists offer a wide choice of sedation options – and in some cases even general anesthesia – to make the procedure as comfortable as possible.
Recovery after the procedure isn’t that bad either. Gauze, an ice pack and painkillers, plenty of rest – nice films and TV series – that’s all there is to it. You’ll probably feel better by the third day after surgery, and the bleeding that is common after the procedure should stop completely within a week.
It’s true that wisdom tooth extraction involves some pain, but it’s not discomfort you can’t handle.
If your wisdom teeth are bothering you, this routine outpatient procedure will help improve your daily life. So it’s worth it!
2. Root canal treatment
Everyone has heard of root canals. In films, on TV and in pop culture in general, root canal treatment is portrayed as the most painful procedure. Because of stories and legends, many patients are afraid of it. In fact, root canal treatment is meant to relieve pain – a painful, deep carious cavity or abscess won’t go away on its own and needs treatment. All the myths about an unbearably painful procedure are old news. Today, with anesthesia, it’s a simple procedure and can be as painless as a filling.
Root canal treatment may take several hours, because the dentist works carefully and step by step, but this very discomfort will spare you pain in the future. Bring wireless headphones to your appointment to listen to music or an audiobook, so the procedure goes quickly and is doubly productive for you.
3. Dental implants
Even the idea of a dental implant is scary for some people. But once patients know more about the procedure, their fear usually decreases. Treatment begins by placing an artificial tooth root where the tooth was extracted. This is the only surgical part of the procedure, and under anesthesia it isn’t nearly painful enough to give up the resulting benefits in appearance, eating and other comfort.
Often, even knowing that a dental procedure isn’t so scary doesn’t help us overcome fear and anxiety. Talk to your dentist – they can work out an approach with you that makes you feel safe and comfortable. And with each following appointment, you’ll find that the discomfort decreases and you can smile a little more freely.
