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What is a dental phobia? A surprisingly big number of people never anticipate appointments with their dentists. Even though many dental procedures are painless, the mere thought of being examined frightens a good many of people. The majority of people arguably live with some degree of anxiety about visiting the dentist. However, persons with dental phobia hardly fathom the fright that cloud them when they think about an appointment with a dentist. Indeed, some people with dental phobia get so scared that they are ready to do anything and everything to sidestep a dental appointment. Phobias are immense, stroppy fears about certain activities, situations or objects. People plagued by dental phobia usually postpone normal dental care for as long as it takes. This avoidance leads them to live with periodontal illnesses, fractured and discolored teeth, and even pain. Dental phobia is also variously referred to as dental fear, dental anxiety, odontophobia and dentist phobia. Many practitioners, however, reserve the term dental phobia for people with irrationally extreme fears. Persons with post-traumatic stress disorder occasioned by prior distressing dental experiences fall in this category. Dental fear prevalence Dental fears and anxieties are shockingly common. It’s estimated that up to 15% of Australian citizens shun visiting the dentist due to fear. This translates to about 3.5 million Australians who possibly prefer putting up with gum infections and other dental conditions rather than see a dentist. Notably, the prevalence of dental fears varies significantly basing on the criteria applied in measuring as well as the population under study. From a global perspective, at least 4% to more than 20% of people have dentist phobia. Undeniably, most people usually use the words phobia and anxiety interchangeably even though their meanings are different. On the one hand, people with dental anxieties experience nervousness or restlessness when seeking dental care. On the other hand, dental phobia is a grave condition. Sufferers experience unexplainable dread or immense fear. Persons with dental phobia are not just nervous. They’re scared stiff. Predictably, sufferers of dental phobia are highly susceptible to gum diseases as well as premature tooth loss. The fear of visiting a dentist has an emotional toll on sufferers as well. Persons who shun dental appointments usually have discoloured and disfigured teeth, making the sufferers self-conscious as well as insecure. Such people react by smiling less and keeping their mouths closed partially as they speak. In some cases, the sufferers are so mortified about their unsightly teeth that their work life and personal life takes a beating. In fact, it is common for people who avoid the dentist to have extremely low self-esteem. Additionally, dental phobia sufferers have poorer general well-being as well as a low life expectancy. This results from the fact that improper oral health is linked to various fatal conditions including lung infections and heart conditions. Dental phobia or anxiety comes in varying levels. At times, a person with extreme dental phobia never sees a dentist. While others are forced by factors like pain, damaged or unsightly teeth to visit the dentist, they can be so stressed that they experience sleep problems on the eve of their appointment. Some people even feel sick, while others actually fall sick at the waiting bay. Worrisomely, dental phobia gets worse if left untreated. This is partly due to the emotional stress that accompanies dental phobia, and which makes seeing the dentist unnecessarily more comfortable. Persons with a tendency to intense tension also have a comparatively low pain threshold, which means that they tend to feel the subtler pain. Causes of dental phobia Dental anxieties and phobias can develop from different factors. Research results from patient interviews reveal that the following are the commonest causes of odontophobia; 1. Pain A study carried out on persons who hadn’t visited a dentist for at least a year showed that at least 6 percent of them stated that they failed to get dental care mainly due to their fear of pain. Adults aged 24 and above who abandon oral care almost always cite pain as a key factor. It is possible that persons over the age of 24 had their early experiences with dentists prior to the present advanced ‘pain-free’ dentistry. Developments in this area have led to the introduction of technologies that help stave off this sort of pain, so modern approaches are painless. Children who associate with dental services with pain are most likely to have inherited the phobia from older people around them who regale them with stories of horror teeth extractions. The association of dentistry with pain may also stem from facts unrelated to a visit to the dentist. For example, if someone has endured an oral trauma in the past, they will find it difficult to let a professional take a look at them in the fear that the early pain is going to come back. Such fear is however psychological and is not based on any logical thought. 2. Shame It would be fair to argue that not everyone among us has the perfect set of teeth. While there are people born with great oral structures, there are those who suffer from minor teeth defects such as chipping and misalignment. Such people may feel ashamed of presenting themselves to the dentist because they fear that the experts are going to be judgemental. This fear is mostly manifested in women, who tend to have a problem with perceptions. To a lesser extent, men will from time to time avoid the dentist for the same exact reasons. Even in situations where the cause of teeth defects is not self-imposed, patients tend to have a fear of being judged. They feel that the dentist will see them as ignorant when it comes to their dental health. There are others who have an experience of getting subjected to ridicule because of their teeth, and this leads to the degeneration of self-esteem. The assumption is that since they have been mocked for their dentition in the past, then the dentist

Dentures are removable false teeth mounted on a metal or plastic plates. They are worn to replace the missing or lost teeth so that the user can smile with confidence or enjoy their meals. As much as your dentist may work on maintaining as many of your teeth as possible, the chances are at some point in life you will need dentures. Not only can losing your teeth cause emotional problems, but also it can result in difficult eating and speech. Dentures are among the best teeth restoration methods that will help you restore your self-confidence and enhancing your appearance by posting support to your lips and cheeks. This post will help you understand how soon you can have your denture after the teeth are taken out. What Kind of Dentures Do I Need? First things first, it is vital to know the kind of dentures you will require. Dentures are custom made for the best fit and shaped by taking an impression of your mouth by a dental technician. The shape and colour are adjusted to look just like your natural teeth. There are two types of dentures: – Full or Complete Denture It replaces all natural teeth either in the upper or lower jaw. The dentist will insert the new dentures after removing all the natural teeth. This ensures that you will not have to go without teeth while the gums are healing. Your gums and bone may reduce in size over time especially during the first six months after the teeth were removed. In this case, the dentist will have to adjust the measurements or replace to improve the fit. – A partial denture It fills in the spaces left by missing or lost teeth. It is fastened to the natural teeth with ?precision attachments’ with implants or metal clasp so that they can be removed or unclipped. How Soon Can I Have a Denture after a Tooth is Taken Out? It all depends on what type of denture you are having. The immediate denture can be fitted immediately your teeth are removed. Your dentist takes teeth measurements and the impression. This will help the dentist to create a model of the jaw for denture fabrications. The main advantage of this is that you will not have to put up with no teeth while you wait. This means you can have your teeth replaced immediately there and then. But, there’s a risk of having your teeth and gum shrinking while they heal. You will probably need some adjustments, relining or even replacements during the healing process. In some cases, where the dentist advises for conventional denture then you’ll have to wait for six to eight weeks for the healing process of the mouth. You can wear a partial denture if you got few teeth remaining until your set of denture is ready. Your dentist may advise you upon waiting until your gums are healed before fitting the dentures since it provides the best fit. Bottom line It’s paramount that you seek the services of a qualified dental professional for you to have comfortable dentures that fit your mouth well. At Springvale Dental Clinic that is exactly what we offer; professionalism in all your dentures needs. You can also contact us if your dentures become damaged or stop fitting.

If you’ve got one or more of your teeth missing, dental implants can help you restore the aesthetic appeal and the function of your smile. A dental implant is a titanium post that a dentist inserts surgically beneath the gum line to serve as a foundation for a replacement tooth. Once the implants are well positioned, and the gums have had time to heal, the dentist can now insert permanent crown. Patients who have lost their teeth through various reasons like trauma to the face, periodontal diseases, or any other reasons can now benefit from this procedure. This procedure is considered as one of the most successful tooth replacement procedures since it closely replicates the look and function of a natural tooth. With proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime. While every dental implant procedure may differ based on the number of teeth missing and the location, here is the basic step by step guide to a dental implant. Before The Procedure Before the procedure, your dentist will carry out some few tests to verify if you are a viable candidate for dental implants. For a dental implant to be performed on a patient, his/her jaw bone requires to be strong. If a patient has lost a lot of jawbone, the dentist may require first to perform a bone graft procedure. Your dentist will assess your jaw bone and let you know if this process is necessary. During the initial visit, you will also receive information on what is required of you on the day of the dental implant procedure. If you are a smoker, it is highly recommended that you quit the habit several months before undergoing the procedure since it can cause poor Osseointegration. This is where there are poor bone and implant integration, which is one of the leading causes of dental implant failure. Anaesthetic Before the procedure, your oral surgeon or the dentist will start by making sure that you are numb and cannot feel any pain. You will remain awake during the procedure, but apart from some slight feeling of discomfort or pressure, you will not feel any pain. If you still cannot handle this, there is an option of a more heavily sedated approach that can completely knock you out or remain awake but generally unaware. Preparing the Implant Site Once you are numb and can’t feel any pain, your oral surgeon or dentist will now prepare the implant site. Your professional will open the gums so that he can access the jaw bone and make an evaluation of the implant site. The bone will be required to be relatively smooth and flat, if not the oral surgeon may use a drill to reshape it. Drilling the Pilot Hole The initial drill that is used when making the hole for a dental implant is referred to as pilot drill. Simply this is a small diameter drill bit that is used to create a hole, which serves as a guide for other drills used later on. The dentist may use a plastic jig when making the pilot drill. This is a device created using plaster casts of the patient’s mouth. When it is used, it is fitted into position, then the pilot drill is inserted through its opening that is centred over the implant site. The jig helps to centre and guide the drill’s orientation. Once the dentist is done with drilling the pilot hole, he will use an alignment pin to check its alignment. Finishing the Hole When the dentist is done with drilling the pilot hole, he will use some other larger drill bits until he attains the right diameter for the dental implant. The size of your dental implant is chosen before the procedure based on the condition of your bone. The dentist will then check the alignment again once he is done with the hole for the implant using the alignment pin. The hole will then be threaded using a screw tap so that it can match the threads on the implants. Placing the Implants Now you can finally receive the implants; there are two methods that the dentist can use. It can be done using a special head for dental drill or a small hand wrench. Sometimes it can be done using a small torque wrench. This can make you feel somehow uncomfortable, but trained oral surgeons will be able to minimise the discomfort. The site will then be closed using stitches and an implant cap. The Healing Process Just like it is in many surgical processes, the kind of care you provide on your dental implant during the healing process will at a great extent prove whether the procedure will be successful. The stitches will be removed after 7 to 10 days. The implant will be given a period of 3 to 6 months so that it can fuse with the bone (Osseointegration) before the crown is placed. During the healing process, maintain a healthy diet, keep the area exceptionally clean and don’t forget to keep up your dental check-ups. Permanent Restoration After the dental implant has undergone the healing process and its stable, now the dentist can place permanent restoration. This can be a dental crown, bridge or denture. The dentist will remove the implant cap and replace it with an abutment and place a dental prosthesis on top of it. After The Procedure A good number of patients are always happy and satisfied with the whole dental implant procedure. It is advisable that you stick to soft foods during the Osseointegration process. You will also receive advice from your dentist on when you can replace temporary parts of the dental implants with permanent. Patients who have undergone through this process say that the pain they experienced is just a slight one. After the process is done and the implant has completely healed, you can treat it just like your natural teeth. Are You In Springvale or Its Surrounding Areas? Springvale Dental Clinic has been serving