There are many people who have a real terror of going to the dentist. Some people only feel nervous in the waiting room or during the intervention, while others experience panic attacks just thinking about going to the consultation.
This fear of going to the dentist is known as odontophobia and affects 15% of the population, according to data from the latest national survey by the General Council of Dentists. As the solution can never be to not go to the dentist until you feel pain in your teeth or gums, professionals have to take part in the matter and reinforce everything that is within our power and that helps the patient with fear of overcoming their phobia.
Fortunately, technology can be a great ally to reduce what is most feared: pain. Thanks to state-of-the-art equipment, we can perform minimally invasive interventions and ensure total patient safety.
The laser: the solution to pain and bleeding
A patient with odontophobia fears the moment of the puncture for anesthesia, the removal of caries and / or pulp tissue using a rotary instrument. In fact, the noise of such appliances is one of patients’ nightmares, although the bleeding, the postoperative pain or fear of infection are also part of their fears.
The laser technology represents a revolution in endodontics. Lasers like Wiser, from Doctor Smile, in a large part of the interventions do not require anesthesia or topical anesthesia. It does not cause pain and allow the bleeding to be kept under control both during and after the intervention.
In addition to representing a much more pleasant experience for the patient, the dentist benefits from being able to perform a much faster intervention, since he does not spend time on anesthesia or have to deal with bleeding.
The Wiser laser also has a bactericidal effect that acts on the root canal, the apical delta and dental canaliculi up to 500 microns deep. In this way, the healing times of periapical lesions are much shorter than with conventional treatments.
Piezosurgery, minimally invasive surgeries
Admittedly, the words "bone surgery" can intimidate patients and, if they have had past experiences, it is logical that they remember them in unpleasant ways. Burs and saws are commonly used that cut hard tissues such as bone, but do not differentiate soft tissues, cutting any type of tissue that gets in their way.
On the other hand, piezoelectric surgery (piezosurgery) allows cutting the bone without damaging any type of soft tissue, facilitating the surgeon to work with greater precision and reducing the postoperative discomfort of the patient.
Mectron's Piezosurgery Plus unit has a cutting speed that can reach up to 72,000 micro vibrations per second, making it useful for almost all surgical possibilities, from maxillofacial surgery to neurosurgery. It allows for selective and micrometric cutting, with maximum surgical precision and intraoperative tactile sensation.
In addition, it guarantees maximum safety for patients and surgeons, since it allows total intraoperative visibility by avoiding bleeding and the risk of damaging soft tissues is greatly reduced. After the operation with the Piezosurgery Plus, patients see swelling and postoperative discomfort considerably reduced, while bone healing is accelerated.
Overcoming the fear of the dentist in the time of COVID-19
It is possible that part of the fear of going to the consultation these days is the result of the pandemic. After all, during the intervention it is necessary to remove the mask and it is a place where many people pass, something that can generate insecurity, especially for those at risk.
Previously I had already detailed all the measures you can adopt to improve confidence among patients after ease in lockdown restrictions. Among all of them, the use of an air purifier with HEPA filters stands out, since they are the most effective way to eliminate bacteria and viruses from the clinic.
If you inform your patients about all the measures you are carrying out to prevent contamination, they will feel much more comfortable and safer when coming to your practice.
Communication is essential
There are many other state-of-the-art appliances that can plausibly reduce fear of going to the dentist. The patient can notice that he bleeds less, does not feel pain during the intervention or his post-operation is more pleasant.
In addition, there are other devices that the patient usually does not know what they are for but which are fundamental for us. One example is the periodontal probes with which we evaluate the tissues and detect the periodontal pocket if it exists, in addition to measuring its depth. When we have a modern probe such as Pa-On, from Orange Dental, we should not hesitate to explain to the patient that it is one of the most precise on the market and that thanks to it we will achieve better results in the interventions. Furthermore, its measurement is calibrated with a pressure of 20g, so that it will not cause any pain.
When we communicate with the patient in an understandable, professional and close manner, fear tends to be greatly reduced. If necessary, we can show them in advance how the device works or even compare it with conventional technologies so that they can see the benefits of current ones. We must emphasize the fact that having the state-of-the-art appliances will make the intervention very non-invasive!