Dental Anxiety

The very thought of undergoing a dental procedure causes anxiety in the minds of many people. Fear of the dentist, often associated with painful dental visits in the past, is what prevents people from visiting the dentist on a regular basis. Apprehension to dental treatment and the dread of entering a dental office is a common problem, summed under one term – Dental Anxiety.

An article published by Weiner et al, 1999 tells us that patients are susceptible to psychological trauma if they experience pain caused by a dentist who was otherwise perceived as a caring or nurturing individual. Regular dental checkups forewarn the patient about potential periodontal problems. Minor tooth problems could also be treated through root canals or implants. So a visit to the dentist should never be avoided.

Combating Dental Anxiety

Patients suffering from dental phobia needn’t worry any longer. The availability of quick acting pain relief medications and gentle dental procedures help patients deal with dental anxiety. Sleep dentistry for instance is a new way of tackling dental phobia. This form of dentistry is ideal for patients who fear needles or don’t succumb to anesthesia administered through oral injections.

Modern Dentistry

There are many things that modern dentistry takes care of to keep patients calm and comfortable during their visits to the orthodontist. Dental offices in most parts of the world have been upgraded keeping the patient’s needs in mind. These offices are equipped with plenty of diversions like Televisions and virtual reality glasses to keep patients engrossed and entertained.

Overcoming Dental Anxiety

Dentists offer patients several types of pain alleviating medications and alternatives to address odontophobia or dental fear. While some dentists hypnotize patients before they start working on the oral cavity, others use laughing gas to ward off any fears. This gas acts as a mild sedative, ideal for people who are petrified of even getting into the dentist’s chair.

For those who’d rather suffer from a dental problem instead of visiting the dentist, stronger sedatives will be prescribed before the procedure begins. Such sedatives can be injected intravenously if required, but only if administered by a trained anesthesiologist. Sedation dentistry is the best option for those plagued by severe phobias although the sedatives must be used with caution.

Pain Free Dentistry

With advances in the field of dentistry, orthodontists are now capable of offering painless dentistry to patients.

• They use efficient and long acting pain numbing medications along with sedatives to complete complex dental procedures like insertion of dental implants or extraction of impacted teeth.
• Once these surgical procedures are completed the dentist prescribes anti inflammatory medications like corticosteroids to prevent the development of any pain or swelling.
•  Dentist anxiety can therefore be completely done away with.

An article published by U Berggren and G Meynert on JADA reveals that nearly 85 percent of the 160 adults tested for odontophobia started suffering from the condition during their childhood years. What’s more striking is that women aged between 20 and 40 were more likely to avoid visits to the dentist for several years due to dental anxiety.

Benefits of Traveling Overseas for Dental Care

• The term “cheap dentist” is no more oxymoronic. With the ever increasing demand for cheap dental care, dental tourism has now taken root in some parts of the world.
• The cost of dentistry in the US, UK, Canada and Australia has reached new heights. The same procedures are performed in countries like India, Thailand, Turkey, Mexico and Costa Rica at a reasonable price.
• Patients no longer have to put up with halitosis, uncomfortable dentures, or missing teeth just because the cost of dental procedures doesn’t suit their pockets.
• Network doctors operate in countries abroad and offer some of the best dental practices that meet and often supersede dental services offered in the West.
• Patients can avail of cheap dental implant procedures overseas, even if the cost of travel and accommodation is taken into account.
• Discounted dental work is offered by most of our network doctors. Pocket friendly dental payment plans are also available for the customers.

Fear of dentists along with the high cost of dentistry encourages patients to delay their dental treatments. This delay only results in worsening of the condition. With the availability of timely, painless, and pocket friendly dental solutions in other parts of the world, patients suffering from dental anxiety should not have much to complain about.