Who's afraid of the dentist?

So, Who's afraid of the dentist?

Short and simple: Mostly everyone is!

One can try to come out with as many explanations as there are people. Something puzzles me though. Some people have never been to a dentist and yet they are afraid. Some children even, without knowing anything about dentistry and without the ability to talk and relate stories and without any prior dental experience are afraid of the dentist too. How is this possible?

Short and simple: Teething hurts! 

I believe most people are afraid of the dentist because for no particular reason, when we are babies and have no ability to communicate our feelings -other than crying desperately-, teeth start to come out into our mouths and it hurts. Have you ever experienced a baby teething? I knew exactly when my girls were going to be teething. They became cranky, irritable, they drooled excessively, developed diarrhea and colds and high fever. Besides this slew of symptoms, I’m sure it hurt a lot and it caused them a lot of aggravation.

I cannot find another part of the human body that goes through this process. Teeth have to make their way into our mouths by cutting the gums, at a time when we are defenseless. As babies, we have no clue what’s going on and thus cannot help it.

Good news. We are not babies anymore and we can see the truth. With modern techniques and materials and with the help of a careful and compassionate dentist, mostly all dental procedures nowadays can be made painless!  All you need is to find a caring Dentist.

See you at the office and remember to love your dentist with all your teeth!

Hans Sperling, DMD.