Why the fear of the dentist is both a thing of the past but possibly a thing of the future?
By: Zoe Clara
Tags: Dentistry, Health, Medical, Childhood Fears, Care

Why the fear of the dentist is both a thing of the past but possibly a thing of the future? Zoe Clara Nov 11, 2021·3 min read

Hi everyone, today lets talk about a very common fear that can reach everyone in the world young and old, the dentist.

On a personal note going to the dentist is never the highlight of the year, but where does this long fear of dentist come from? over the many years of dentistry aswell as medical in general, we have witnessed before our eyes the technology and medical advances that have brought the industry up into the modern world and well into the future with flying colours.We can now acheieve and adapt to more than we could ever have dreamed of 80 years ago, but with all this exidence and proof infront of our eyes, we still picture them straight out of a killer doctor horror film.

So why dont we have a look at some of the advancements that this ‘killer dentists’ have done over the years. I asked 20 strangers of all ages ‘what is your biggest fear when going tothe dentist?’ 15 out of 20 responded with stories when they were younger the classic procedure of removing a tooth was so traumatic that they refused to go back to the dentist even to this day, in regards to the remaining 5 people most answered along the same lines of fear the dentist will hurt them. Now this is an extremely understandable fear, if you havent experienced having a tooth taken out before these amazing advancements i (with caution) consider you to reseach the procedure itself.

But lets not focus on how things use to be performed and move on to the question ‘if things have changed,why am i still scared?’ so, advancements in dental technology mean that procedures that once use to be seen as painful and mentally damaging, are now well talked through with the patient and worked through with so much care that by the time your appointment is finished its possible you might not have noticed that they started.

The dental team now more than ever are trained in how to handle the most anxious of patients and believe it or not, value your feelings and are willing to only do as you want more than anything else.

the idea of being scared of the dentist is so widely spread that it is difficult for most of us to give them a second chance. And although this goes for mojority of dentists and teams out there, Although much like in every area of work, not everyone has the same vaules as others.

So if the fear of the dentist is in the past,why could it be a thing of the future? to answer this question i must advice, this does not envolve everybody but to a small percentage it is a reality.

We have talked about how as adults we have all experienced a fear or a bad experience with the dentist ourselves. But in some cases of people i have spoken to this fear in ourselves can be passed on into the next generation and in some cases meaning few children are seeing the dentist at a young age. Putting this into different terms it is like a growing child never going to the doctors or not having a checkup till they are of age to do so on their own but by that time it wont seem as a priority to some as adults than others. When a child hurts their leg or brakes a bone it is very visable and shows to adults that the child should see a doctor. But the beginning of decay in a tooth or unproper cleaning can lead to much bigger and more painful situations and are not always as easy to spot on your own.

What would this mean for the future? of course some of the reading in this text is overblown and dramatic but in a few cases it is exactly what happens and in with the media and networks in todays age, some things need to have a dramatic look to finally shine some light on the worst of fears.

remember looking after your healthy is looking after ALL of your health.

tips for the dentist: ask as many questions as you can to get the most information. it is okay to say no to a procedure you are not okay with. The dentist will always listen and try to help with your worries. if all else fails it is okay to get a second opinion.