Many people are afraid of the dentist, but this fear is often based on false presumptions about modern dentistry. Here are three things you might have wrong about modern dentistry:
1. Dental Work Hurts
People fear visits to the dentist for the simple reason that, if it turns out you need dental work, cosmetic dental procedures can be very scary things indeed. Dentists have all sorts of sharp metal implements and drills at their disposal to help you keep your pearly whites both white and in your head, but those cosmetic dental surgery tools can look more like instruments of torture than of medicine. As it turns out, though, cosmetic dental procedures need not be scary at all. In fact, even root canals, which are commonly known as one of the more painful dental jobs, need only hurt as much as a filling.
2. Cavities Are a Common Cause of Tooth Loss
Still, this fear of the dentist also stems from the worry that you may lose your teeth from ill care. While you can never do enough to keep your teeth healthy and in tip top condition, statistically speaking you really do not need to worry about losing teeth from your flossing habits. A majority of tooth loss that occurs before the age of 35 is due to accidents and fights rather than any sort of cavity or ill care. Be more worried about belligerent friends than cavities!
3. Tooth Loss is Common at All
To address this fear of losing teeth even more thoroughly, though, one should know that tooth loss may not be a very big concern at all, regardless of the cause. Due to poor dental care, the old stereotype for an old man often included missing teeth, if not just a set of dentures to replace all of them. Today, tough, with modern dentistry, less than one in ten people have lost any teeth at all even after the age of 65. What do you think about these dental truths and myths? More on this.
