3 Reasons Why People Don't go to the Dentist and How to Overcome Them

views the best pictures

Do you dread going to the dentist? Perhaps you don't have the time, the money or you suffer from dental anxiety that prevents you from making regular visits. Whatever the case reason, you are not alone. On average nearly 35% of Americans are skipping their dentist appointments. In some states this percentage is lower;for example in some southern states, nearly 50% of people simply don't go to the dentist's office. These individuals not only risk their oral health, but given the links between oral health and overall health, they may be risking their lives. We gathered the top 3 reasons why people skip their dental visits in order to provide solutions to help you overcome these obstacles to good oral health.

1. Cost - Dental care, like medical care, can be expensive and an increasing number of employers are not offering dental insurance to their employees. A recent survey indicated that nearly 44% of those skipping regular visits did so because they had no dental insurance.

While dental care can be expensive, there are a number of ways those without insurance can help soften the financial blow.

Dental Discount Plans - Unlike insurance, dental discount plans don't pay for a patient's dental procedure. Instead, they provide the patient a discount ranging from 10% to 60% depending on the plan. In addition, discount plans are often far less expensive than dental insurance.

Dental Financing - Although dental financing was originally only offered mainly to cosmetic dentistry patients, a growing number of dentists have begun offering financing to their patients.

Minimally Invasive Dentistry - This modern form of dentistry is centered on the management of diseases responsible for tooth decay, unlike traditional dentistry which focuses more on treating tooth decay after it had developed. As a result of minimally invasive dentistry, many dentists are discovering their patients are not only enjoy better oral health but also require less invasive and costly dental procedures while saving their patients considerable money.

2. Time - Time can be a huge factor in missing or skipping dental appointments. In the past, many had to miss work in order to go to appointment. Today, with most families relying on both partner's incomes to make ends meet, missing work is often not an option. While there are a number of tips and tricks patients can use to overcome time issues with dental appointments, more and more dentists are finding ways to help meet their patients' time issues.

Extended Hours - To help patients maintain their work schedule during the day, many dental offices are providing extended hours. These can include either later office hours or even the ability to schedule appointments on weekends.

Minimally Invasive Dentistry - Another benefit of minimally invasive dentistry is that patients often require fewer and less invasive dental procedures, significantly reducing the number of visits required and the length of the typical visit, therefore saving patients both time and money.

3. Fear - It is estimated that fear of dentist is why up to 8% of Americans avoid the dentist. Whether caused by a bad experience in the past, or by a sense of helplessness and lack of control about what is happening to them in the dentist's chair, dental anxiety is very real - but also very manageable.

Assertiveness - Often dentists can inadvertently add to a patient's anxiety by assuming every patient has the same pain threshold and by handling dental procedures the same between patients. Being assertive with your dentist about your needs is crucial in overcoming dental anxiety.

Specialized Dentists - There are a number of dentists who specialize in treating patients with dental anxiety. These dentists make an extra effort to make sure their offices are nonthreatening environments and alter their methods in order to give patients more control of their treatment.

Counseling - Those with severe dental anxiety may consider working with a counselor or therapist to overcome their fears. There are a number of therapists that specialize in anxiety and increasingly dentists are partnering with therapists to help patients with anxiety issues.

Whatever your reason for skipping your dental appointments, the consequences can often times be more costly, more time intensive and much scarier than the average appointment. Consider that poor oral health has been linked to a number of more serious and life threatening diseases including: cancer, diabetes, heart disease and HPV. In addition, avoiding the dentist can even be fatal in some situations. By visiting the dentist regularly and practicing good oral hygiene, patients can not only reduce the risks to their overall health, they can turn dental visits into a positive and relaxing experience for themselves and their families. Children and adults that learn they don't need to fear the dentist can develop good dental habits to last them a lifetime.

This article is written by Landon Blatter of Rocky Mountain Dental Partners . Our team understands that there may be obstacles preventing you from visiting the dentist regularly and we are here to answer your questions and help you overcome these issues.