Dodging the Dentist - Why Some People Avoid Them

We all know that we should go see our dentist once every six months for a routine checkup. It's that unnerving time of the year where most people hide under their desks and find ways to put off going for another month. Fear, anxiety, and just sheer hatred of the place are all reasons people avoid the office like the plague. But it is very necessary. It's all about preventative care and making sure that your mouth is the healthiest that it could be.

There are many reasons to avoid the dentist. The pain is the biggest reason. A lot of people avoid this chair for that very reason, it hurts. True a cleaning is not the most comfortable thing in the world. Even if you brush and floss like you're supposed to, the dental assistant is still going to get in there with that pick and scrape your teeth. If you have sensitive teeth it's just that much more excruciating. If you have a cavity or two then you really try to avoid being scrapped and picked at. Let's face it even the x-rays aren't the most comfortable process either.

Pain isn't the only reason that people avoid the dentist. Some don't like the sounds that they hear when they are there. For some just the mere sound of a drill sends their heart into overdrive. It doesn't even have to be used on them, they can hear it down the hall and it floods them with fear. It might stem from a bad experience they've had or just the thought of what that drill is doing. The reason doesn't matter; the point is that it can make them very nervous and even sick to their stomach. Anxiety like that can make a person avoid the dental chair quicker than anything else.

Of course there are the ones that avoid the dentist because they just don't like the man. In some cases they avoid them all because of one bad experience with a particular doctor. For some they believe that if one will act like this when dealing with a patient then they all act like that. It's irrational but it's in their heads that this is what will happen so they avoid them like no tomorrow. There is probably no way to get these types of people to change their mind short of a dental emergency.

Sure avoiding the dentist can put your mind at ease for a little while. Unfortunately without that preventative care every six months you run the risk of having some serious issues down the road. A good doctor can detect when cavities are starting and can help you avoid them. If you're worried about pain, take some Tylenol before you hit the doctor's office. If it's the sound, see if you can wear some headphones so that you can listen to some relaxing music or see if they offer sedation dentistry. If you simply don't trust this type of doctor, try a different one and give them a chance to prove that some do have good chair side manners.