What Happens When You Ignore Dental Anxiety

Dental anxiety is a common problem that can cause you to avoid visiting a dentist in Mesa for a number of reasons. When you feel fear or anxiety, you experience a wide range of physical symptoms that discourage you from going in for dental appointments, such as nausea. It’s easy enough to ignore how you feel when you’re not experiencing any problems with your teeth or gums. However, as with any type of anxiety, ignoring it won’t make it go away and could have a serious impact on your health and well-being overall.

When you don’t deal with dental anxiety, you can end up having the following problems.

Avoiding Routine Dental Checkups

Routine dental checkups are an essential part of making sure your teeth and gums are healthy. These checkups aren’t just about examining your teeth and gums for signs of problems. During these visits, dentists also remove plaque and tartar from your teeth to lower the risk of decay and gum problems. Since you can’t fully remove this plaque and tartar by brushing at home, avoiding dental cleanings and checkups due to anxiety increases your risk of developing serious oral health problems. By skipping these visits, you’re also missing out on having fluoride treatments done to lower the risk of tooth decay even more.

When you have dental anxiety, going in for a simple cleaning and exam can seem daunting. However, keep in mind that by doing these visits, you’ll be reducing your risk of having to come in for severe dental problems later on.

Risking Major Dental Problems

Minor tooth and gum problems might not cause much discomfort for you now. But they can turn into major issues without timely care. Avoiding going to the dentist for small problems often leads to much bigger problems later. Tooth decay and advanced gum disease don’t happen overnight. There are early signs of these conditions that dentists can check for, so that they can be treated sooner rather than later.

If dental anxiety is keeping you from having minor dental problems taken care of, keep in mind that you might have no choice about going to the dentist later on. Early stages of tooth decay or gum disease can result in dental emergencies, such as infections or severe toothaches, that require immediate care. In some cases, this can lead to the need for complicated treatments or the loss of one or more teeth.

Missing Out on the Benefits of a Healthy Smile

Having a healthy smile that you’re proud of goes a long way toward improving your quality of life. If you have tooth discoloration or other flaws, such as a chipped tooth or missing teeth, you might stop yourself from smiling in front of other people. You might also be self-conscious enough to avoid talking to other people as much as possible. Dental implants in Mesa and cosmetic dental services, such as teeth whitening, can improve your smile and help you feel more confident.

Although cosmetic dental procedures are typically not as complex as major dental work for tooth and gum problems, you still might avoid considering them due to dental anxiety. When you won’t see a dentist about cosmetic options, you’re missing out on the many benefits of smile restoration. In some cases, cosmetic dentistry takes place in the comfort of your own home. This includes take-home teeth whitening kits or the use of aligners for straightening teeth.

Dealing with Dental Anxiety

What can you do if dental anxiety prevents you from visiting a dentist? Sedation dentistry provides a way for you to feel relaxed and much more at ease at the dentist’s office. Different types of sedation help reduce or relieve your anxiety about your dental procedures. You should explore these options, so that you won’t continue risking having dental problems develop or become worse.

Conclusion

If you struggle with dental anxiety, contact Dental Brothers to learn more about sedation dentistry in Mesa and Phoenix. We can help you feel calmer during dental appointments. Let us help whether you’re having dental work done or just coming in for a routine checkup.