Have you heard about laser dentistry? If you find yourself scared of going to the dentist on a regular basis, you aren’t doomed to a lifetime of poor oral health. Today’s medical advances help you overcome dental phobia through new and innovative dental techniques. Many dental phobias are related to the instruments used, which may include needles, loud machinery, and invasive techniques. Laser dentistry, however, helps you overcome these fears.
Many people are afraid of getting fillings because of the needle and drill often used in such procedures. Dentists who use lasers, however, are able to perform fillings without having to use these machines. It is much quieter to get a laser filling, and you are unlikely to feel the panic that might be induced by having a drill approaching your mouth! Laser technology can even help locate and prevent tooth decay and treat other oral diseases.
Laser dentistry can be combined with other techniques that have been specifically developed to be less invasive. For example, 3D imaging systems help reduce the fear of x-rays and painful dental photography. If your fear is not limited to particular instruments, your dentist can use several cutting-edge techniques together, not just laser dentistry, to avoid triggering a particular dental phobia.
If you don’t mention your phobia, your dentist may never know that they should suggest laser dentistry in the first place. Make sure you talk to them about your fears, even if they seem silly – the dentist has likely heard it all before! A compassionate team of medical professionals can answer questions, help you relax, distract you, and explain what is going on in order to help you avoid the fear response.
Dental phobias are common, but techniques like laser dentistry can help you get a filling without the needle and drill traditionally involved in doing so. Better still, when you know that fixing any dental problems will be this easy, it can help you remain calm so that you can get a normal dental checkup without worrying about what will happen if they find an oral health problem.