Dental Fear

ADA Straight From the Mouth

Posted on 07. Aug, 2011 by wisdom.

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The ADA (American Dental Association) has a video podcast series called Straight from the Mouth.

The second video is titled “Overcoming Dental Anxiety.” http://ada.org/straightfromthemouth.aspx

The press release from the ADA on this podcast was posted in September 28, 2009. http://ada.org/3241.aspx. However, it still says on the Straight from the Mouth Video Podcast that many other videos are coming soon. It seems like the ADA may have decided not to have these podcasts come out or they just haven’t posted them. If anyone has any information let me know.

The podcast is hosted by two dentists Ruchi Nijjar Sahota and Eric Grove. It seems appropriate to younger audiences and is upbeat.

The video is important for many of those who suffer from dental anxiety. It discusses needles, drills, and water used for dental procedures.

Needles of course are used to anesthetize nerves to prevent pain during extractions, root canals, and filling cavities.

The dentists chime in to suggest the viewer asks for a gel to be applied and/or to keep the dental instruments out of your vision to help with fear of needles.

Regarding fear of drills, there is a discussion of bringing your MP3 player to help drown out the noise and a mention that an electric drill can be quieter.

Regarding fear of water and potential choking there is a discussion of telling one’s dentist about any water in their mouth that may be causing difficulty breathing, the suggestion of the use of a dental dam, and discussion of a technique to help one breathe with water in their mouth.

Of course the main goal with this video is to encourage those to not neglect their teeth and gums and see a dentist regularly to help with prevention and aid in early detection of any diseases/problems. This of course should be in addition to regularly brushing, flossing, and paying attention to one’s diet.

The truth to the matter is that these dental fears did not just appear out of thin air. Refer to the complications section of this website to see many problems that can occur when extracting a wisdom tooth; however, this can be applied to other extractions and other dental procedures in some cases (although of course not any statistics presented).

When it comes to needles they can in rare cases contribute to permanently damaging a nerve via the anesthetic that is injected into that nerve. In even rarer cases, the needle can break off and require subsequent surgery to remove the fragment.

A drill can damage a plate, severe a nerve, and even leave a permanent lasting scar on the face. Like a needle, a drill bur (dental drill bit) can break off and require subsequent surgery to remove the fragment.

I have not seen any cases of someone choking on water and suffering injury during a dental procedure; however, the feeling of choking should not be taken lightly as a few have choked to their death on cotton rolls. http://www.teethremoval.com/dental_deaths.html

These negative events described are unlikely to occur but have happened in the past and certainly will happen again in the future. Even so, prevention is very important and a check up and dental prophylaxis should be regularly performed by a qualified dental professional.

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Dental Care in Japan

Posted on 19. Jun, 2011 by wisdom.

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I found an interesting piece by Kevin Rafferty in The Japan Times Online from June 15, 2011, titled “A dentist need not be a masked demon.” The article is located here http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20110615a1.html

The article gives an inside look into recent developments in dentistry with a particular focus on Japan but the principals and message apply globally.

The main focus on the article centers around a report soon to be published in both English and Japanese titled “Guideline for treating caries following a minimal intervention policy, an evidence and consensus based study.” The report was conducted by Mikako Hayashi of Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry and her committee in which 18 months was spent conducting research.

Some notabled quotes from the article by Kevin Rafferty include

“Recent advances in dentistry include recognition that teeth, if properly treated, regularly cleaned and cared for with a healthy diet, have self-healing properties, so that drilling and filling of teeth showing signs of decay should be a last, rather than a first, resort.”

Mikako Hayashi adds

“…I tell my students to pretend they are feathers when using drills: Be gentle and avoid deep digging…By the same token, deep drilling of teeth and filling with old fashioned metal inlays and crowns may be the sure way to hasten their loss. Drilling deeply weakens the vital tooth structure and may inflict lasting damage on the prospects of preserving the pulp that is the core of the living tooth. Excavating and filling locks the teeth into a potentially vicious downward spiral when the fillings fail and the dentist drills deeper.”

The article provides insights into dentistry in Japan noting that students graduating from dental school in Japan have limited experience with real patients and practicing minimal intervention.

Yasuko Momoi from Tsurumi University who was the chairperson of the panel for the evidence based report adds

“The dental profession is not a business, but should be based on a conscientious sense of duty. We have a treaty with God, Buddha, Mohammed or Christ to respect people, in accordance with the Hippocratic Oath. In Japan, dentistry is based on the concept of public salvation; in the U.S. of individual salvation.”

I am interested in seeing this report and was very impressed by Kevin’s article. He does have a unique perspective though as he is married to Mikako Hayashi. At the end of the article are many tips laid out to improve Japan’s dental system.

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Noise Cancelling Dental Drill

Posted on 04. Apr, 2011 by wisdom.

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For those who have dental problems that require treatment a dental drill may need to be used. However, some people have fear of a dental drill and going to the dentist. This may cause some people to not visit the dentist due to fear even though they clearly require treatment.

In an effort to help curb those who may suffer from dental fear, technology has recently been developed that will cancel out the noise of a dental drill. One would plug a device into their MP3 player and then plug their headphones into this MP3 player. The technology uses adaptive filtering where electronic filters lock onto sound waves and removes those particular sound waves causing their sound to not be heard. The dentist and dental team can still talk to the person having treatment.

The technology was initially conceived of an idea by Brian Millar at King’s College London. Currently investors are needed to make the device a reality in dental offices.

Personally I think there is a lot more to dental fear than the sound of a dental drill such as what one sees during the visit. This could potentially be useful to some people though.

Source: King’s College London

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Abandoned Dentist Chair

Posted on 15. Oct, 2008 by wisdom.

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I found this great photo of an abandoned dentist chair while searching through photos on Flickr. I think this image captures the fear many people feel when visiting the dentist. You may be feeling that something is going to go terribly wrong and that your life may be changed forever. Or you may feel really uncomfortable and want to be doing some other activity.

The original URL is http://www.flickr.com/photos/22793898@N04/2191423773/

Abandoned Dentist Chair

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Posted on 10. Oct, 2008 by wisdom.

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Do you have a phobia or suffer from dental fear. Many people suffer from fear of going to the dentist.

DentalFearCentral.org offers the following explanation.

DENTAL FEAR is a reaction to a known danger (“I know what the dentist is going to do, been there, done that – I’m scared!!”), which involves a fight-or-flight response when confronted with the threatening stimulus.

DENTAL PHOBIA is basically the same as fear, only much stronger (“I know what happens when I go to the dentist – there’s no way I’m going back if I can help it. I’m so terrified I feel sick”). Also, the fight-or-flight response occurs when just thinking about or being reminded of the threatening situation. Someone with a dental phobia will avoid dental care at all costs until either a physical problem or the psychological burden of the phobia becomes overwhelming.

To discuss your dental fears with others and learn more visit the dental fear central forums.