3 Common Myths about the Dentist

Have you recently visited your dental care provider? If not, how long has it been since you last had a checkup? If it has been a while since your last cleaning, regardless of the reason why, the important thing to remember is that your fears are most likely based on misinformation. This is particularly true if you have been dissuaded from visits because of horror stories you have heard from family or friends. By simply replacing horror stories and misinformation with facts, you will not only be able to realize how ridiculous the myths are but you will also be more likely to confront your fears about visiting your doctor.

The first common myth about the dentist is that they do not have good chair side manners. While medical doctors are often chastised for not have good bedside manners, dental care providers are accused of lacking in chair side manners. In doing so, patients feel as though their visits are shortened by fast-working, non-communicative professionals that do not take the time to explain procedures or offer explanations to patients regarding their care. The truth is that many dental visits are shortened because patients don't ask questions. The more you put into your visit, the more you can and will get out of it.

Another common myth about the dentist is that they judge their patients preemptively and subsequently treat their patients accordingly. If this were true, not only would they have more lawsuits for malpractice, but they would also lose their businesses. Health care providers are trained not to judge, but rather to treat. Sure, they may have opinions about what they are doing, but who doesn't have an opinion about their job? The difference lies in the ability to be professional about it.

The third common myth about the dentist is that they cannot prevent or reverse the damage of dental problems. This is unequivocally not true. No matter what stage of disease or how severe your dental problem is, a dentist can always help treat it; this is precisely what they are trained to do.

Whether you personally have been horrified by a dental visit or you know someone else who has been, it is important to realize that horror stories are often overblown -- the results of which can and will prevent you from receiving proper dental care. However, you must be willing to educate yourself on the facts in addition to not giving credibility to misinformation. Specifically, there are three common myths about the dentist that you should not give any credibility to, including: dental care providers do not have good chair side manners, they judge their patients and subsequently treat their patients accordingly, and they cannot prevent or reverse the damage of dental problems.