Patients urged to overcome dentist fear
With new developments in dental clinics, the fear of going to a dentist should be a thing of the past, it has been claimed.
Dr Birnbach, a Colorado general and cosmetic dentist, says that many dental clinics now administer the majority of treatments with no pain, give soothing massages and offer coffee on arrival.
"I’m sure we all know someone who has not been to the dentist in years, if not decades due to terrifying thoughts of the dentist wielding his torturous drill. And maybe that someone is you," he states.
However, Dr Birnbach warns that in order to achieve the perfect smile through cosmetic dentistry, patients’ teeth must be in "tip-top shape".
Therefore visiting a general dentist regularly is vital in the quest for a brighter, whiter smile, he says.
A study by Philip Weinstein, a clinical psychologist and the co-founder of the Dental Fears Research Clinic at the University of Washington, found that conquering the fear of going to the dentist can have a "profound impact on someone’s life", as cited in the Indian Journal of Dental Research.
