Fear of the dentist is one of the most common fears across Europe and North America. Recent research in the British Dental Journal suggesting that over 50% of the UK population claim to be anxious about visits to the dentist, while the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy suggest a further 36% are moderately anxious and approximately 12% are dentally phobic.
This is despite huge advances in dental care over the past 100 years. Pain relief is now routinely used and very effective, there have been improvements in the way diseased teeth are treated. Other developments include: minimally invasive (non-drill based) treatments to remove decay and save teeth; improvements in materials used to restore teeth; and in training for dentists on the importance of communication and person-centred care. And yet dental fear remains widespread.
Why?……For the full blog please see the Cost of Living Blogsite.
