How Dental Fear Affects Overall Health

Dental fear affects billions of people all over the world and has far-reaching consequences to your overall health.

If your dental fear has been keeping you out of the chair for years, it is time to schedule an appointment with Dr. Jack Ringer. As past president and an accredited Fellow with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, your Anaheim Hills dentist has the credentials and experience to put you at ease.

Oral care is more than brushing and flossing. Although essential in your daily oral hygiene routine, dental checkups are also important. If you fear the dentist or just have not been in sometime, there are some other things to consider as well.

Dental Fear and Tooth Decay

When you brush twice and floss once each day, you are fighting plaque-forming bacteria. Plaque is caused by food particles and bacteria and is that sticky substance that stays on your teeth. If you don’t brush, floss and remove the plaque it will develop into tartar.

Tartar is the hard stuff that can only be removed by your Orange County dentist. Plaque and tartar break down the enamel in your teeth causing dental caries or cavities. If you suffer from dental fear, chances are, you have cavities. Tooth decay also causes chronic bad breath.

Gum Disease and Dental Fear

Gingivitis

If tooth decay is left untreated, you will develop gum disease. If your gums are sore, more pink than usual or bleed when you brush, you could have gum disease. Gingivitis, the less severe of the two types of gum disease, is curable as your dentist in Anaheim Hills can perform a deep cleaning to heal the pockets.

Called root scaling and planing, it scales the teeth removing the damage from the bacteria and plaque. Once scaled, the tooth roots are planed to a smooth surface to prevent gum disease from recurring. If left untreated, periodontal disease is inevitable.

Periodontal Disease

Also known as periodontitis, periodontal disease cannot be cured, but is manageable if treated by an Orange County dentist. A much more severe form of gum disease, periodontitis causes pockets of pus to form between your teeth and gums. Early signs include bleeding, red, and sore gums.

If you bleed when you brush and floss, it is time to see your dentist. If left untreated, periodontal disease will cause tooth loss as it eats away at the jawbone because the roots have nothing to hold on to.

Health Problems and Dental Fear

Your dentist is the usually the first to discover overall health problems, especially oral cancers. A comprehensive dental examination from Dr. Ringer includes an oral cancer screening along with x-rays and other dental technology that can also detect kidney and heart problems, diabetes and hypertension. If you suffer from dental fear, you may not know you have anything wrong with you until you see your doctor, and at that point, the disease may be more advanced.

Dental Fear Conquered with Sedation and Other Technologies

Thanks to sedation dentistry, CAD/CAM and laser dentistry you will not have to suffer. With sedation dentistry, you can be relaxed before you set foot in the office while laser dentistry is done without a drill. CAD/CAM is computerized dentistry that puts an end to uncomfortable and messy impressions along with conventional x-rays.

Conquer your dental fear and schedule an appointment with your dentist in Anaheim Hills. A comprehensive dental examination with Dr. Ringer and his team will determine what comes next.

Make an appointment and put your dental fear aside for good. Call for a comprehensive dental exam in Orange County today.