Poor quality of life linked with dental phobia
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 19th April 2018
A new report has shown that being afraid of the dentist can affect your oral health and be damaging to your quality of life. The International Dental Journal study shows that that form of anxiety can impact someone psychologically and socially, leading you to feel ashamed, low in confidence and socially isolated.
Income and education were also factors negatively affected by dental anxiety. Those questioned were almost twice as likely to be on a lower income if they feared dental visits. The same group are also twice more likely to suffer from poor oral health.
The study estimates that more than 10 million adults in the United Kingdom have some level of dental anxiety, with an approximate six million suffering from dental phobia.
The Oral Health Foundation is working hard to emphasise the importance of overcoming dental anxiety and preventing anything that happens as a result of it.
Dr Nigel Carter OBE, CEO of the OHF said: “About one in five Brits admit to being afraid or anxious about visiting a dentist in Britain.
“This is an incredibly widespread anxiety and is one of the key reasons why people don’t visit the dentist as often as they should. This can put you at risk of significant oral health problems and, as this research shows, other important areas of your life.
“Avoiding a visit to the dentist due to fear puts you at greater risk of missing oral health problems, such as early signs of tooth decay or gum disease, until it gets too late to treat effectively, and you have no choice but to have extensive treatment.
“It can also have knock on effects on self-confidence and other elements of psychological wellbeing, which can impact you socially in your relationships or even career.
“It can also lead to potentially significant health issues as untreated gum disease has been linked to systemic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
“Modern dentistry is very different to the scare stories which you may base your dental anxiety on and, with modern techniques, all dental treatment is now virtually painless. There really is no need to fear a visit to the dentist.”
