Category: Blog

A few steps that can help you feel comfortable with your new dentist that is committed to helping you overcome your phobia include the following:

1. Meet Your Dentist Prior to the First Treatment: Sit down and have a consultation with the dentist. Talk about your fears and concerns, and see in which ways he/she will help address your personal concerns. Ask any questions you may have about their dental policies and procedures as this time as well.
2. Be Upfront About Your Dental Phobia: Explain what you are feeling and how your phobias effect you seeking help for your dental needs. Any dentist who wants to help will not laugh at or scoff you, they will welcome the honest openness of your discussion and want to help.
3. Bring a Family Member/Friend with You for Moral Support: Bringing someone you trust who does not have a phobia of dentists can help you make the whole thin seem more reasonable. They can put the treatment in perspective and help you remain calm during your new experience.
4. Ask About Modifications: Some dentists can make modifications to treatments or the way they are administered to help you feel more at ease. Just ask!
5. Consider Changing Dentists: If the dentist seems unwilling to help you find a solution to your problem then it might be time to look for a dentist who will help! Same goes for dentists who may find your fears “comical” or “entertaining”. There is nothing funny about it, so possibly looking for someone who can take you seriously is in order.
6. Use Noise-Cancelling Headphones: If the sounds of dental tools grating on the surfaces of your teeth makes your skin crawl request to use headphones while the dentist is performing the procedure. Losing yourself in the music can help you forget about what is happening. It can block those terrible noises that can make your skin crawl as well!
7. Talk About Pain Management Options: If you need more detailed dental work like root canal or cavity that needs to be filled talk to your dentist about ways to manage pain that you may feel during the experience. If you have had this experienced in the past, ask if there is a way they can guarantee you are not feeling pain. If you feel pain during this procedure, ask for a signal to stop the procedure till the pain is addressed.
8. Stay Halfway Up in the Chair: Possibly ask the dentist to only put the chair halfway back if you feel laying in the supine position makes you feel vulnerable. Many dentists will be able to comply

All of these tips, and finding a dentist who is happy to accommodate can help make your entire experience the next time you go to the dentist something that is bearable. If you have children try not to pass that fear of the dentist on to them. Talk about the benefits/perks of regular dental care (i.e. oral health, avoiding cavities, keeping your natural teeth, etc.). Take the children to their dentist for the first time when they are young so they are able to grow up with regular dental care to ensure they are not fearful as they age.

If you have questions regarding this article or would like to learn more about us visit our website or call us 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team

“Where Family Comes First”

According to the Dental Fears Research Clinic has studied and determined that between 5-8% of the population avoid the dentist because of crippling fears of going. Another 20% only go when they have to for things like toothaches because of fears. Most children are also terrified or go through a phase of being terrified of the dentist before growing out of it, but some never do grow out of it! About 25% of the population by all estimations.

What you really need to find is a dentist with empathy. A dentist that understands how you feel, and who is really willing to work with you to help ensure you have a positive experience at the dentist without letting your oral health suffer.

The main reasons people fear dentists are quite varied, but at the same time all share a generally similar reasoning: a bad past experience with the dentist that has put them off from going again or the way they feel while they are there. Here are some of the top reasons people explain they avoid dentists:

1. A Bad Dental Experience as A Child: The person cites a generally unpleasant or painful experience at the dentist and it has given them a bad impression of the dentist since. They vow to never return, and there is hardly anything someone can do to convince them otherwise. It wasn’t worth the pain, and they will just put up with any problems that come up over going through that miserable experience ever again in their adult life.
2. Pre-Existing Disorder Anxieties: some people have general anxiety of the unknown and they just can’t get past anything otherwise so they never bother going to the dentist.
3. Lack of Control: the feeling of lying in a supine position in a dentist chair with no control over what’s going on inside one’s mouth is most people’s furthest definition of “fun”, but for some it’s a downright unbearable thought. This is especially true for those suffering from PTSD who feel they have no control over their environment.
4. Bad Teeth: some people may have a phobia of dentists after endless sittings of dental work for bad teeth. People who don’t take care of their teeth may have had endless crowns, caps, and cavities filled and after a while they just have enough. They don’t bother going back because they dread the next bout of hours sitting in a dental chair while having more work done to their already battered teeth. Simple daily oral care can generally help people avoid these conditions.
5. Biological Mechanisms: some people still have that gagging feeling or sensation when they go to the dentist like they are being “suffocated” if you will. This is a miserable feeling so they decide to avoid going to the dentist. People with the most sensitive gag reflexes seem to fall into this category the most often.

If you are having dental issues, but have a deep-seeded fear of going to the dentist the most important, empowering thing you can do is find out where that fear is coming from. Acknowledging that you have an issue and a fear to conquer is the first step in getting over anything is realizing that there is an issue to be solved in the first place. Admitting that to yourself is a vital step. Figure out what causes that fear and complex for you personally. Is it a bad past experience? Is it a psychological condition? Knowing what is causing the issue is what can help you solve the problem! Commit to overcoming the condition by contacting a dentist who specializes in helping people overcome dental phobias. There are plenty out there that are willing to help if you just reach out.

We’re experts at dealing with dental phobia patients.  If you have any questions regarding this article contact us or call 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team

“Where Family Comes First”

If you don’t like the color of your teeth you are not alone. Most people’s biggest complaint that they cite when they want to improve their smile the biggest answer is to whiten their teeth. Stains on one’s teeth have multiple causes and there are many reasons they occur, and thus the treatment for each type of stain is different. Below is a look at 3 of the most popular kinds of stains and how to remove them effectively:

1. Intrinsic Teeth Stain Removal:

Intrinsic stains occur when the dentin on the teeth is stained. Dentin is the sensitive tissue just below the enamel layer on a tooth. This layer is generally a darker shade of yellow when these stains set in. These are generally stains that are seen after the enamel wears off of the teeth, and that is due to poor oral health. This can be caused by exposure to tetracycline in antibiotics during childhood or because of physical trauma to your teeth. These stains are from inside the teeth and cannot be treated with whitening treatments or toothpastes. The most common treatment that are used to mask these stains are either bonding or crowns. They are added over the tooth, and they are able to contour them to the shape of teeth to make them look natural as possible to the rest of the mouth.

1. Extrinsic Teeth Stain Removal:

Extrinsic stains are stains to the enamel of the teeth, which is the hard surface protecting the dentin and the pulp of the tooth. Enamel comes in contact with every single thing you eat or drink. Darker foods like red sauces or fruits such as berries can stain the enamel over time when consumed often. Drinks like sodas or root-beer and even coffees and teas if drank often enough can stain the enamel, too! Generally whitening toothpastes can clear most of these stains up over consistent use within a few weeks. If the toothpaste doesn’t work possibly professional dental whitening will do the trick. Avoid stain-causing darker-colored foods and/or drinks for a few days after whitening to avoid re-staining the teeth you just had whitened. As for exactly how long to abstain from these foods after professional whitening ask your dentist for exact recommendations.

1. Age-Related Stains:

Teeth can break down and stain just like any other body part does with time and age. These stains are often caused by the dentin of the teeth getting darker, and the enamel wears thinner with age. This is no fault of your own for not caring for your teeth or eating a bad habit. It’s about age. To treat these stains a treatment must clean at least deep as the dentin to get the color to lighten back up again. Sometimes professional whitening can’t even get the enamel white as you would like it to get. If you are not satisfied with professional cleanings, the dentist may be able to bond your teeth or cap them with crowns to help make your teeth appear whiter.

If you have any questions regarding this article contact us or call 909-465-1016.

The Ramona Dentistry Team

“Where Family Comes First”