The U.K.’s Daily Mail recently spoke with several people who have odontophobia, or a severe fear of dental work. Although more than one-third of people are moderately anxious about visiting a dentist, according to one survey, about 12% are so fearful that they said they would avoid a dentist visit at all costs or require sedation.

“Fear of the dentist often leads people to avoid visiting one, even if they’re in pain or suffering from problems such as decay,” Julie Cook writes for the Daily Mail. 

The Daily Mail found people who have not been to a dentist in decades. That includes a 38-year-old woman who stayed away from a dentist for nearly two decades until severe pain and swelling in the back of her mouth forced her to seek treatment. A dentist told her she had an abscess under one of her molars.

Don’t Skip Checkups and Cleanings

Whether the idea of seeing a dentist makes your blood run cold or simply has you feeling a little nervous, it is important to understand that regular checkups and cleanings are a vital part of overall well-being. Skipping dentist visits can lead to serious and even life-threatening oral health issues.

Gum disease has long been linked to heart health problems, for example. Regular checkups and cleanings give dentists the chance to address plaque buildup before it leads to more serious issues like gum disease. They also allow professionals to spot other issues, the Daily Mail points out.

“Dental phobia also means there is a risk that the oral cancers — which are on the rise and which dentists look for — aren’t being picked up early, when they are more treatable,” Cook writes.

The good news is that there are a number of options for helping people feel more comfortable about dentist visits. At Pearl White, we are pleased to be able to offer sedation for patients who are nervous about a visit. We offer two sedation options – oral medication and nitrous oxide – to help patients relax and ensure that they get the dental care that they need.

Our Fort Lauderdale Dentist Can Help

If you are overdue for a checkup, are experiencing mouth pain or discomfort or simply want to brighten your smile, Fort Lauderdale dentist Natalia Benda-Celenski and her team at Pearl White Dentistry can help.

We have been helping people throughout South Florida keep their mouths healthy and their smiles shining for more than 15 years. Our patient reviews speak for themselves: people love the Pearl White experience! Contact us online, call us at (954) 491-8812, or email us at dr@pearlwhitedentistry.com to schedule an appointment with a Fort Lauderdale dentist.

Many Floridians and people across the country have taken a hiatus from regular dental checkups in the nearly two years since the coronavirus first reared its ugly head in the U.S. As infection rates fall and people return to some semblance of normal, many are not sure what to expect when they schedule their first dentist visits since the “before times.”

A recent article from the Washington Post highlights much of what we have seen from returning patients at Pearl White: Plaque and tartar buildup that can be fairly easily removed but which poses a serious risk to oral health if not addressed and teeth cracking and other damage caused by stress.

“The pandemic has altered people’s routines in ways that have negatively affected their teeth,” the Post’s Ashley Fetters Maloy reports. “Working from home, many are snacking more, forgoing brushing in the morning and falling asleep before brushing at night.”

Dentists also told the Post that they are also seeing more patients coming in with broken or damaged teeth. That may be because of stress stemming from the pandemic, which often results in teeth clenching and grinding. 

“It’s just, like, a perfect storm,” one dentist said.

That many people chose to forgo regular dentist visits during the pandemic is completely understandable. The sooner you come in for a checkup and cleaning, however, the more likely we can prevent long-term damage whether it is from plaque buildup or teeth grinding.

Some patients who have not seen a dentist in multiple years may need a deep dental cleaning to address decay and combat gum disease. This is a more extensive process than a standard cleaning, in which we focus below the gum line to root out harmful bacteria. 

For patients who have experienced damage to their teeth, we are pleased to be able to offer a wide range of restorative and cosmetic dental services to help improve your smile. 

That includes porcelain veneers, a popular option for addressing tooth discoloration and gaps. A veneer is an extremely thin layer of porcelain that is placed on top of your natural. They are custom-made for size, shape and color.

At Pearl White, we are also pleased to offer Botox treatment to patients who want to brighten their smiles by improving the skin around their mouths. This is a natural extension of the various cosmetic dentistry services that we offer to patients, including our at-home teeth whitening treatment and Invisalign to help straighten teeth.

See a Fort Lauderdale Dentist Today

If you are overdue for a checkup, are experiencing mouth pain or discomfort or simply want to brighten your smile, Fort Lauderdale dentist Natalia Benda-Celenski and her team at Pearl White Dentistry can help.Contact us online, call us at (954) 491-8812, or email us at dr@pearlwhitedentistry.com to schedule an appointment with a Fort Lauderdale dentist today.