Dental fear, otherwise known as dentophobia, is a very common disease even in its most extreme cases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dental fear can affect up to 18% of the world population and can cause severe complications in the oral health of a patient. When a patient has dentophobia, they often postpone their clinical visits, ignoring the possibility of developing dental problems until it is too late. That is why patients with very poor oral health only come to the dentist when faced with a situation of great pain or tooth loss. If you are one of the many with this type of issue, seeing a Family Dentist in Lafayette LA may be the solution to your issue.
The causes of dental fear
The causes of dental fear can usually be traced back to experiences during childhood or adolescence. Usually, these bad experiences are due to communication problems with the dentist rather than a treatment gone awry. Dentophobia is usually seen when a patient has an overwhelming feeling of helplessness while being in the dentist’s chair, thus causing anxiety to set in. This fear is further complicated when patients fail to visit the dental clinic and begin to see their teeth gradually deteriorate. This results in feelings of guilt for not consulting a dentist before, and inferiority by not having a healthy mouth.
The consequences of fearing the dental clinic
It is vital to maintain adequate frequency to the dentist. Dental practices help lower the risk of serious dental problems. However, most people with dental fear tend to wait until the problem is out of control. Some even prefer to ignore the pain or even self-medicate. By not addressing the problems, caries thrive and destroy teeth, accumulating tartar causing gingivitis and, thus, causing teeth to eventually break and/or fall out. This situation causes immediate psychological consequences for the patient.
Your local Family Dentist in Lafayette, LA is here to help. If you, a relative or friend is suffering from dental fear, do not hesitate to contact your dentist. He or she should be at your disposal to try to solve this problem.