Lynchburg Family Dentistry Blog

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Woman Avoiding the Dentist
Woman Avoiding the Dentist | © iStock/Piksel

It’s Never Too Late to Go to the Dentist

Has it been a long time since you’ve been to the dentist? In each dental office I’ve worked, I’ve spoken with a variety of patients about their reasons for avoiding the dentist.

In most cases, whatever the reason was that they stayed away for so long, they told me that their visit went a lot better than they thought it would.  Many people have a fear of the unknown and imagine the worst.

Why People Stay Away from the Dentist

From what I’ve heard, the main reason people stay away from the dentist can be boiled down to one word: fear.  Here are several things people commonly fear:

  • Fear of what the dentist will think of their teeth
  • Fear of being scolded if their teeth are in poor condition
  • Fear of the cost to fix their teeth
  • Fear of the dentist (the person treating them), often based on negative past experiences from their childhood or earlier years

Don’t Worry About What We’ll Think

At Lynchburg Family Dentistry, you never need to be worried about what we will think of your teeth.  I’ve seen people with great teeth, and I’ve seen people with every tooth in their mouth badly decayed or infected.  What’s most important to me is not the current condition of your teeth, but what we can do to improve them to get you smiling confidently again.

We’ll never scold you about your oral health – we’ll simply be glad that you were able to make the difficult decision to come to the dentist.

We Will Take Care of Your Fear of the Unknown

Talk to us about your fears.  If you fear coming to the dental office, give us a call and we can arrange for you to come in and look around to get comfortable.  If you worry about not understanding your dental treatment, we will explain it as thoroughly as we can.  If you are afraid of not knowing what will happen at your appointment, relax — we will explain things until you are comfortable.

Don’t Worry About the Cost

There are often many ways to treat one problem, all with varying costs.  We can go over all of your options to find one that fits within your budget.  We also accept Care Credit, a leading healthcare finance company which allows you to pay for your dental work over a period of six to twelve months interest free!

While dental insurance can make dental care more affordable; but if you don’t have insurance we can help!

For those without dental insurance, we have set up a unique way to help you afford dentistry called Lynchburg Dental Plan.  For one low yearly fee, you get your dental checkups, cleanings, x-rays, and fluoride along with a substantial discount off of our regular fees.  We did this to help make dental care more affordable to residents of the greater Lynchburg area.

We Can Help With Your Fear of the Dentist

While I can’t change the fact that I’m a dentist, we can help you with your fear.  Many people have had bad experiences at the dentist when they were younger.  If that’s the case, talk to me and let me know what I can do to help.

For some patients, they appreciate it if I explain each step of the procedure as we go along.  Others appreciate our extra-strength topical gel that takes away most of the pinch from the needle we use to numb your mouth.  Still others prefer that I prescribe a mild relaxant that they can take before their appointment to put them in a happy dental mood.

Stop Avoiding the Dentist

Like most problems, dental problems usually get bigger the longer you wait to resolve them.

Whatever the reason you are avoiding the dentist, I invite you to come visit us and see how friendly we are.  We really want to make sure you’re comfortable when you come to Lynchburg Family Dentistry.

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