There are a select few, among us who harness their dental fear as motivation to maintain a clean bill of dental health. As for the rest of us, dental fear can be as unnerving as being tied to railroad tracks with an oncoming train chugging in the horizon. Fortunately, there is no train nor are you tied to any tracks. Dental fear is all in your head…which just so happens to be where your teeth happen to be also. Losing your mind over dental fear could very well cause you to lose your teeth.
With these not so orthodox methods, dentists have been taking a proactive stance in the battle against dental phobias.
Much like an in-flight movie, some dental practices offer patients the luxury of distractions of the sight and sound variety. While the dentist goes about the business of chipping away at plaque and filling in cavities, the patient is busied with both 2D and 3D imagery, ranging from TV shows, movies, and even content streamed over from Smartphones. Even famed photography lens manufacturer- Carl Zeiss is behind a system dubbed Total 3D Solutions, which was specifically created for the dental industry. The less you see; the better you’ll feel, at least that’s what they’re banking on.
Then there’s Dr. Paul Weiss, pediatric dentist from Williamsville, New York, who has trained his four year old Golden Retriever, Brooke, to act as a therapy dog. Every Thursday, Brooke comes to help ease whatever tension or angst a young patient may have by giving them a furry head to pat.
Distractions, however pleasant, will not appease all patients. Depending on the extent of their dental phobia, the mere thought of going to the dentist is damaging enough to their psyche that no outside stimulants can run enough static to cancel out the effects of dental fear. Thankfully, advancements in technology have spilled over into the dental field.
Rather than run through the gamut of parlor tricks to put their patients at ease, dentists, instead, are changing up their tools since it would appear to be at the root of most people’s dental fear. Many dentists are adding dental laser technology like WaterLase YSGG dental laser to their practice’s treatment options.
No Shot. No Drill. No Fear. WaterLase’s reputation is quickly growing amongst dentists and patients alike for its relatively pain free experience. Whereas rely on friction and pressure to remove tooth, WaterLase utilizes water and air to cut, etch and shape target tissue (your teeth) without direct contact. If a patient is willing to sit through a customary drilling then they should be completely open to giving an alternative method a go. The testimonials speak for themselves.
If a dentist can make news in the Huffington Post for being the not-so-scary dentist, imagine the reputation you can build with WaterLase dental lasers.
