Today, in the 21st century, dentistry has made technological advances in the last 50 years, such that young people can not relate to the seemingly irrational fears of the dentist that some of their older relatives retain. When you make an appointment with the dentist for your kids, they may look forward to the event! The modern dentist has beautiful photos of soothing landscapes on the ceiling, handing out cool toothbrushes and flossing tools in a comfortable environment, soothing music by earphone and an assortment of dentistry tools arranged in a non-threatening manner. Dental assistants and hygienists are as sweet as pie and never, ever, hurt their patients. A day in the park, right? Dental phobia? What’s that?
Thank God for the advances modern dentistry has achieved! Dental phobia, be gone!
Things weren’t always so rosy. If your Aunt or Grandma flinches at the mention of the dentist, she’s not really a wacko. There was a time when a visit to the dentist vied with your worst nightmare come to life. It wasn’t the fault of the dentist. He wasn’t really the evil guy in Grandma’s memory. There was simply no painless way to do the job. He wasn’t imaginative enough – Grandma might say sensitive enough – to distract the patient from the inevitable pain of that extraction or filling. Buck up, Grandma! It will all be over soon. This is the genesis of dental phobia.
OK, so some people are born with strong, straight teeth. Others are not. It’s mostly a genetic thing. Those cavity causing bacteria creep into every crevice and unless, or even despite, having a fanatical devotion to brushing your teeth won’t save you from the occasional cavity. Novocaine, drilling, terrible smells emanating from the drill … dental phobia ensues, as sure as the rising sun.
Poor Aunt May and Grandma. Back in the day, she was at the mercy of the dentist. He delivered his shot of Novocaine, assumed it worked and started drilling. In those days, dentistry was still fairly primitive, according to today’s standards. Anomalies, such as a nerve hidden under the jawbone, were ignored. The Novocaine didn’t work, because it wasn’t hitting the nerve, but Mr. Dentist continued. There are horror movies based on such sadistic concepts!
If you think that dental phobia is some mythical or irrational concept, think again. Ask Grandma. She may report visits to the dentist in which she passed out, because the Novocaine failed to deaden the pain. By the time the task was done, she was trashed, physically and emotionally. She wouldn’t be visiting the dentist again anytime soon. The experience was too frightening and painful. Both she and her teeth suffered as a result.
Today, your dentist can pull an impacted wisdom tooth in an absolutely painless operation, with minimal soreness in the area when the Novocaine wears off. Dental phobia is now something only a few of the older folks remember. There’s no longer any reason to avoid the dentist. Take care of your teeth!
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