Blog

Walk past any dental surgery in the city of London, and for most of us, we are overcome with a strange sense of fear and dread. We’ve either been inside or we know what happens in there. It’s not pleasant, so cross to the other side of the street and run away, fast! Sound familiar? In all seriousness, dental phobias are a very real problem. They can stop us having regular check ups which can identify any problems early on and then rectified. But if left, can lead to all manner of oral hygiene problems. Dental phobias develop for many reasons. It can stem from childhood where children are exposed to dental problems that their parents have experienced. In most cases, our phobias stem from personal bad experiences of dental procedures at the hands pf a ‘bad’ dentist, leading to post traumatic stress. Remarks from a dentist or hygienist can be seen as humiliating, or maybe we have been inherently made to fear needles or put off, by seeing particularly bad dental experiences in a movie. Dental phobias can also lead to stress and anxiety in everyday life- bad teeth stop us smiling and being natural, putting us in fear of ridicule. But a lot of anxieties can be laid to rest by a consultation with a dentist. Visits don’t always mean pain and generally, the more research done and questions we have answered, can give us a greater understanding of dental procedures, installing us with a sense of control over the treatments we choose and have. Having an understanding of the anaesthetics and sedatives available to prevent pain, can restore our trust in dentistry and enable us to maintain the prime objective- a healthy and happy mouth.