phobia

How To Manage Dental Anxiety in Elderly Patients

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It is not uncommon for someone to have a fear related to seeing a dentist. However, left unchecked those phobias can develop to the point where a dental office is a place to avoid at all costs. When the fear involves an elderly patient, it can have a strong impact on their oral health. By not seeing a dentist, regular check-ups are missed which could have otherwise identified a potential dental problem early enough to begin preventative care. This is why it is important to discuss these fears with your dentist or the front office staff at your dental office. Understanding The Source of Anxiety If you are afraid to visit your dentist, rest assured that you are not the first person to experience this. Even if you cannot pinpoint precisely where the fear started, the dental office you visit … Read more

Dental Phobia – Therapy Treatments for Anxiety and Phobia

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Overcoming a fear of the dentist, or odontophobia, is incredibly important if you want to maintain your oral hygiene and avoid having serious health problems in the future. You may be pleased to learn that fear of the dentist is actually surprisingly common – affecting 20% of the population worldwide. Most people’s fear of the dentist doesn’t stop them from visiting the dentist when problems arise but it does stop them when going in for regular check-ups – which increases the likelihood of actual problems occurring.  For some though dental phobia is so severe that they will not visit the dentist under any circumstances – and will often result to extreme measures to fix their own dental issues. In either case various techniques and therapies can be used to overcome dental phobia. Visiting the dentist regularly is the best way … Read more