Don’t Let Dental Phobia Defeat You.

When I was seven, I had a shaky tooth that was bothering me.

“Mrs Ee,” I asked my teacher, “may I please go see Nurse John?” Nurse John was my primary school’s dental nurse. She was an frail lady of no younger than 60, who wore a white coat with a matching white cap.

I told her about my shaky tooth. She ordered me to sit in her chair and to open my mouth. I obliged.

Without asking, she swiftly grabbed a pair of forceps, asked me to open wide and twisted my tooth out without much of a second thought.

I am but one of many individuals who was put through a traumatic dental experience as a child. Fortunately, I recovered from the trauma; but many others do not. Research has shown that the word “dentist” triggers negative emotions in a significant number of individuals. They associate visits to the dentist with pain and distrust. Some even suffer from severe dental phobia, where the very thought of seeing a dentist results in physical manifestations like nausea and heart palpitations.

Fortunately, the nature of the practice of dentistry in Singapore has undergone a paradigm shift. The centrism has shifted from one of operator centrism to patient centrism. The passage of time has also allowed for evidence-based dentistry to become the prevailing basis of the modern dental practice. Treatment modalities and even patient management techniques have been well researched and put to good use.

Individuals should not allow their past trauma to get in the way of a healthy set of teeth and gums. A good and gentle dentist that you feel comfortable with is out there for every individual. The modern practice of dentistry is one that listens first and treats after. A good dentist considers the individual’s fears, concerns and even their unique quirks before carrying out treatment; which could even make the entire experience pleasant rather than painful.

These are the thoughts and opinions of Dr Jeremy Sim. It may not be relevant to you as the blog post does not consider your individual needs. Dr Jeremy Sim is a General Dentist practising at Orchard Scotts Dental.