Fear is part of the human condition. An inbuilt defence mechanism that keeps us safe form harm and stops us doing things that are bad for us. However, sometimes the fear can be slightly misplaced and irrational leading to ultimately more harm than good. For example, having a fear of being burgled may lead you to lock your door at night. Nothing wrong with this, a perfectly sensible reaction to a legitimate fear but what if you are afraid of the dentist? This may seem rational at first. All those scary looking tools, the unfamiliar environment, it can be a lot to take in but is it really scary and what are the long-term consequences of dental fear?

In reality, most people are able to overcome their fears pretty easily and receive the dental treatment that they need. This helps to keep their teeth clean and healthy and avoid nasty dental complications. However, for those suffering from a more severe fear or phobia, visiting a dentist may be an impossibility. This can lead to all sorts of dental problems that are definitely not in your best interests. Ironically, avoiding the dentist makes it more and more likely that you are going to need to see one.

Fortunately, there are now many ways to overcome this phobia with relative ease. Modern dentists are trained to deal with anxious patients and understand the need to talk things through slowly with patients who are afraid. This has perhaps been overlooked in the past, which is often where the initial fear stems from; the fear of the unknown. As well as this here are many relaxation techniques that your City of London dentist can help you with which will help to calm nerves before a treatment.

The terms scaling and polishing can sound scary especially when you know it’s happening at the dentist. In a recent survey, over 90 per cent of people in Britain admitted to having some fear of the dentist. The reality is however, that scaling and polishing are relatively painless procedures and could prevent years of dental health problems in the future that really will be painful.

Scaling is the process of using hand tools to remove built up plaque that has hardened into tartar and calculus. This usually takes place near the gum line and on the back-side of teeth which are areas often overlooked during tooth brushing. The procedure can hardly be called a pleasant one, but it should not involve any pain if performed correctly by a Central London dentist. For many patients it is the noise and sensation that are slightly unpleasant rather than any feeling of pain. However scaling is one of the most important procedures in dental hygiene and can prevent cavities even at a late stage of plaque build up.

Polishing is the process of using an electronic, rubber-tipped tool to polish teeth once all cleaning work has been done. This is a painless procedure and only involves some mild tickling sensations. Polishing and scaling can leave your teeth feeling extremely clean and fresh. It prevents discolouration and cavities occurring to damage the appearance of your teeth and makes your teeth look cleaner, whiter and healthier.