Face the Facts – Why fearing the dentist is the least of your worries

One of society’s biggest fears is going to the dentist. It is a fear that starts young and either disappears or manifests into something greater as we get older. Though, we shouldn’t fear the dentist as it is a very important aspect in maintaining our daily health.

It is understandable that a dentist visit is not everyone’s favourite thing to do. It always seems to be a little bit chilly, the chair is just not comfortable, there’s at least two people standing and staring and you don’t know where to look, and there’s machines on rotation having a poke around in your mouth.

Regular dental visits are an essential factor in the maintaining of healthy teeth and gums. Some reasons you shouldn’t fear the dentist include:

Plaque and Cavities

Even in the most orally hygienic of us we still tend to miss parts of the mouth, leaving us prone to plaque build-up and cavities. The biggest issue with this is if it is left too long it can result in major dental issues. Regular dental check-ups and cleans prevent this from happening and keep our teeth in tip-top shape.

Gum disease

When plaque builds up it doesn’t only effect the teeth, but effects the gum tissues in the mouth. Gums get infected and pulls away from the tooth. It becomes inflamed and painful to have to live with. Dental check-ups ensure that the early stages of gum disease are caught and attacked before they can become a major issue.

Find unknown issues

Part of dental check-up’s can also involve x-rays which can result in finding out issues that have not yet become a major problem. It can discover things like bone decay, impacted teeth, blocked teeth and other things that we would not normally realise are an issue until it is too late.

Fix your smile

Your smile is a massive part of our facial features and indicates how we feel and helps us to share our feelings with others. Teeth that may be uneven or discoloured can have a massive impact on our confidence. Do not let your fear of the dentist get in the way of truly expressing yourself. Seeing your dentist can help address any issues with your teeth that you may not be fully happy about, this can help to improve your self esteem and properly interact in daily life.