Do You Hate Going to the Dentist? Here's Why

This may seem like a weird question, but it's an important one to ask yourself.

Do you hate going to the dentist?

Like, really hate it because it's not just uncomfortable but a total invasion of your personal space? Like the dentist is purposefully stabbing you with sharp objects, making you bleed, hurting you, and then casually asks you the dumbest question of all, “do you floss?” 

I’ve been a dentist in New York City for over 10 years, and I find it interesting when I compare my patients who dread visiting the dentist with the ones who love coming into my Midtown Manhattan office.

Believe it or not, I actually have patients, kids and adults, that love it when I pick food out of every nook and cranny of their teeth. They want that thorough clean fresh feeling that can only come from a teeth cleaning at the dentist. They want to feel the air whistling past their newly cleaned teeth as they inhale and inspect every surface with their tongue.

So what’s the difference between these patients and the ones who hate coming in?

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR TEETH AND MOUTH

The fearful patients don’t know their own mouths. They don’t know where their tooth ends and their gums begin. They don’t know that their gums hug their tooth like a turtle neck sweater and the purpose of floss is to get the food out from under that “turtle neck.” They don’t realize that food in their gums is like a pine needle in the neck of their sweater which causes irritation.

Dental patients who are afraid of the dentist don’t understand why they have teeth cleaning pain. They believe having their teeth cleaned shouldn’t hurt.

And you know what!?

Getting your teeth cleaned shouldn’t hurt!.. when your teeth are cleaned regularly.

It isn’t normal for gums to be puffy and bleed, but unfortunately, bleeding gums are easy to ignore if they are not throbbing in pain. Inflamed gums are like muscles that are rarely used. Your thighs hurt when you decide to do squats for the first time, but if you continue to exercise, your thighs will eventually get stronger and won’t hurt.

Your gums work the same way when it comes to getting your teeth cleaned.

The first few times you get a professional teeth cleaning by a dentist that knows what they’re doing, they may hurt and bleed. The good news is, if you are consistent, they will eventually get stronger and won’t hurt at all. 

So what’s my advice for the fearful dental patient? Face your fears! Ignoring the dentist office will make things much worse.

You’re an adult, you can totally do this! So educate yourself and open your mind to the idea of consistent and proper dental hygiene. Trust me, I know when life is busy the first thing that goes out the window is self-care and personal hygiene (doesn’t that sound horrible?), but once I see patients prioritize their teeth and gums, magic happens.

Once patients are ready to understand the issues they have with their oral health I am able to have meaningful conversations with them about how they can properly clean their teeth and explain what clean teeth actually look like.

Watching my patients evolve and grow with me is easily the best feeling I have as a dentist, especially in New York. I know it's hard to trust people these days especially when it comes to having teeth cleaned.

I'm here to support my dental patients and help them make proper care of their oral hygiene an intuitive part of their day. Teaching patients how to brush and floss then seeing their progress every 3 months is a great feeling.

So what are you waiting for? Come visit me at my No Limits Dental office in Midtown Manhattan. If you hate the dentist, you’re my kind of patient!