However welcoming and pleasant the atmosphere in the dental practice, and despite the friendly smile of the dentist and their team, a visit to treat dental problems always comes with a certain reluctance. The dental practice is associated with unpleasant memories from previous visits, fear of pain and worry about how complicated the upcoming procedure will be. Despite the team's efforts to put patients at ease, create a comfortable environment and provide pain relief to reduce fear, the dental practice remains an unpleasant place for most patients.
How can we deal with the problem?
The most important thing is not to let problems get worse until solving them becomes difficult and unpleasant. Your dentist knows your dental health, your habits and the factors that affect it, and can decide how often you should come for preventive check-ups. The factors that play a role include:
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General health conditions. People with diabetes tend to develop tooth decay more easily at a young age, while in older people gum (periodontal) problems tend to get worse. Patients with gastritis or gastro-oesophageal reflux disease more often develop decay in unusual places.
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Dental diseases in the family.
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Hygiene habits – how often you brush your teeth and whether you do it correctly.
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Diet – eating carbohydrates often during the day without being able to brush afterwards. Too many fizzy drinks and sticky foods – starchy foods, potatoes.
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Whether you took fluoride tablets as a child.
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Whether you have harmful habits – smoking.
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Whether you work in an environment that is risky for dental health – exposure to chemicals.
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Harmful work habits – biting on hard objects, playing a musical instrument (in some cases)
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Whether you have had teeth extracted and why – tooth decay, injury, periodontal (gum) disease.
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Whether you have many fillings and restorations – crowns, bridges. Sometimes poorly polished edges make cleaning difficult.
Based on this information, your dentist will advise you to visit every 3, 6 or 12 months. At these preventive visits, new problems that need treatment may be found, but when they are diagnosed at such an early stage, they can be treated quickly, easily and painlessly. At the same time, the cost of prevention and treatment at this stage is much lower.
This article is for information only and does not replace an examination by a dentist.
