I just read a very enjoyable article by Mark Remy in the August issue of Runner’s World (“Drill, Baby, Drill,” pp.26-28). In the article Mark likens “speed training” to a dental visit. Not exactly flattering, but both can be equally anxiety producing and both necessary for improvement, whether it be for your performance as a runner or for your health. (I ran both in high school and then in college at Temple University many years ago).
It’s been estimated that there are 80 million suffering from dental phobia in this country. That’s almost ¼ of the population! The psychologists have a term for it. It’s called “experiential avoidance”. Basically, it’s a process involving excessive negative evaluations of unwanted private thoughts, feelings, and sensations, an unwillingness to experience these private events, and deliberate efforts to control or escape from them. Sounds like a dental visit for a lot of people I know!
The bottom line is, procrastination tends to compound itself. The longer we put something off, the worse it becomes in our mind, which itself is a form of suffering. A dental visit is rarely as bad as one might have imagined before actually experiencing it. All these years in dentistry has taught me one thing for sure, ignoring your dental health is a certain way to ensure painful and costly problems. Be true to your teeth, or they’ll be false to you!
I’d be more than happy to discuss any of your concerns regarding trips to the dentist and how we can help you during your next visit. Don’t hesitate to contact me or the staff at my office, Dr. Laurence H. Stone, DDS, any time at 215-230-7667.
