Fear not! The dentist doesn’t have to be scary!
John Gamba was 9 years old when a dentist failed to anesthetize a back molar properly and hit a nerve dead-on. The result was a lifelong fear of dentists that reached a peak in his 20s, when he stopped going to the dentist entirely. “I couldn’t even drive by a dentist’s office without getting stressed out,” he tells WebMD.
Gamba was 38 when a chipped back molar began to decay, eventually causing him constant pain. “I was paralyzed. I couldn’t even consider going [to the dentist’s office],” says Gamba, an Internet entrepreneur from Naples, Fla. “It was much easier to accept the pain, sick as that sounds.”
Few people look forward to a spell in the dentist’s chair. But serious anxiety prevents millions of Americans from seeking proper preventative care. The consequences of this problem may go far beyond dental pain or lost teeth. Gum disease is a serious infection that can affect other parts of the body. Studies now link it to illnesses including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Fortunately, many dentists are specially trained in handling fearful patients; a variety of methods and treatments are available to reduce pain and alleviate fear in the dentist’s chair.
Source: http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/dont-fear-the-dentist
Dr. Curalli and his staff at Smile Ballard located in the Ballard Seattle area are here to help ease anxiety. Dr. Curalli can discuss a number of options available to make your dental visit as comfortable as possible. Whether it be oral sedation, nitrous oxide/laughing gas, or just taking the extra time to explain procedures, Dr. Curalli can help find the best option for you. Contact Smile Ballard at 206-784-6310 to schedule an appointment.
