Dental Phobias

            The fact is most people are afraid of the dentist. Their fears stem from prior experiences, to just plain fear of pain or the unknown. People will not consider going to the dentist until their pain becomes unbearable. Many people will pamper their woes with painkillers, while not realizing that the pain comes from infection, which can also cause the tooth to fallout. You need to take antibiotics to alleviate the pain and infection. Once the infection is under control, the dentist can then treat the tooth. Treatments can be from filling the tooth with amalgam (silver fill) or composite (white or natural color filling), or getting a root canal treatment (taking out the root in the tooth), maybe the tooth requires an extraction (pulling the tooth out).

 Whatever the case all of these procedures may seem scary, but have no fear, you can research your dentist and find out how long he has been in practice. His commitment to his work will show by the referrals he may have from prior clients. Maturity is not always a factor when choosing a dentist. Most offices will give you the history on the dentist at their establishment. Ask around, call ahead for a pre-visit, check him out online for any complaints, it’s public information, and the information is up to date with the California Dental Auxiliaries (CDA). 

At your first visit, maybe this one is just a consultation; ask as many questions as you can think of, write them down before you get there. During your procedure, you may want to take a pair of headsets for music, it will help relax you will your getting your procedure done. It can also offset the noise from the drill. Some places now have T.V.’s music, videos etc. they have found that their clients would rather have their minds on something else while being treated. Preventive measures will take away the hassle of major dental work. Visit your dentist every six months for a check-up, it’s important.