How to love the dentist!

Going to the dentist is typically a traumatic experience that begins when we are very young. Many a child has to be bribed into behaving at the dentist office. That is okay for children because they do not understand why they have to lay very still on a table with bright lights in their eyes and their mouth clamped open while someone pokes and prods at their gums, teeth and tongue. However, as an adult, you do not have to dread going to a dentistry for a couple of reasons:

1. You know the end game. You know that even if there is some pain, it will be worth it in the long run.

2. Going to the dentist does not have to be only for necessities; cosmetic dentistry services like teeth whitening or veneers are becoming increasingly popular. 96% of adults do think that a great smile can make someone more attractive to members of the opposite sex.

So let’s focus more on number one for now. Even when you need to have a procedure done, you know it will not be fun, per say, but if you focus on the benefits, it will help immensely. Let’s use wisdom tooth extraction surgery for example. Wisdom teeth are the usually the last adult teeth to erupt. Most people have four wisdom teeth. They are all located in the very back of the jaw and form one of the top and one on the bottom, on both sides of the mouth. It’s pretty common for adults to have to have their wisdom teeth removed because generally there is only room for 28 teeth in a human mouth. So, if you already have your 28 teeth and the wisdom teeth start rearing their heads, things can get painful and swollen. Wisdom tooth extraction surgery is very necessary at this point, to help you in the long run to avoid crowding, pain and often times, gum disease from not having the room between the teeth to floss properly. Wisdom tooth extraction surgery is a fairly quick process. It is an outpatient surgery that can take on average only about an hour or less as long as there are no complications.

Then you have the cosmetic side of dentistry. 3 million Americans have had implants put in and that number is growing by 500,000 a year. There are many ways to replace missing teeth after having them either pulled or fall out for some reason. However, the only one provides the appearance, feel, and sight of real teeth is a dental implant.
Teeth whitening is another popular cosmetic dentistry service.

Hopefully this article has given you a little different perspective about dentist visits. Maybe, you’ll even look forward to an appointment now, rather than dreading it! What are some other things that would make you or your children feel better about visiting the dentist?