Are you afraid of visiting the dentist? According to recent research, phobias afflict roughly 13% of the population. However, it’s also believed that this number could be much higher as people often conceal phobias for fear of embarrassment.
Being afraid of the dentist can lead to serious oral health issues if treatment is neglected for long periods of time. Many phobic patients delay seeing their dentist for a multitude of reasons. Your Lake Orion sedation dentist, Dr. Brad Greenfield, outlines dental phobia, and how he can make patients feel comfortable during future visits.
What is Dental Phobia?
Dental phobia, or dentophobia as it’s often referred to, can be a crippling issue for some patients. Long dismissed as a basic fear of going to the dentist, dentophobia can have a profound impact on a person’s life. For years, people griped over visiting their dentist twice a year, but they still manage to find their way into the office. For patients with dentophobia, this simply isn’t the case.
In some cases, phobic patients go years, even decades between dental visits. For phobic patients, this only compounds the problem. Issues which might have been treated with routine dental work every six months now escalate into necessary major treatment.
How can Sedation Dentistry Alleviate Dentophobia?
Dentophobia can be linked to a number of causes, including early childhood trauma, fear of pain, fear of needles, fear of losing control, and fear of embarrassment. Luckily, our 48360 sedation dentistry office could provide a comfortable means for sufferers to seek their required treatment.
Taking action is the first step in the process to overcoming dental phobia. Sedation dentistry is not a cure-all for phobias, but can provide patients with a relaxed dental experience. Following oral and intravenous sedation cases, most patients leave our office with little, or no memory of their visit.
By offering sedative services to our patients, we’re often able to complete extensive treatment in fewer visits. Patients are driven home by a family member or relative, and are usually amazed with the amount of work completed while they were under sedation. Don’t allow phobias to prevent you from enjoying your smile. Delaying treatment can lead to oral health issues, as well as overall health problems.
At Lake Orion Family Dentistry, we offer nitrous oxide, as well as intravenous and oral sedation. We strive to make every patient feel comfortable when they walk through our doors. If you’re avoiding the dentist due to fear, don’t delay in contacting us by calling (248) 693-6213 to schedule an appointment today. We welcome patients of all ages from Lake Orion, Oxford, Rochester Hills, Clarkston, and the surrounding communities.
