5 REASONS PEOPLE AVOID THE DENTIST

There are five major reasons that people do not get the necessary dental care they need. They are money, time, lack of concern, fear and trust. Let’s take a quick look at each one and see what dentists try to do to overcome these obstacles for patients.

Although you may think that money would be the number one reason people avoid ideal dental treatment, it is not. Even in tougher economic times, money, although a significant barrier for many, is still not the number one issue for most. Yes, dental care in some cases can be a significant investment. With insurance company’s unwillingness to raise the bar, as I have talked about in previous columns, patients often get stuck with large dental bills. Unfortunately, as of now, we have to face these facts but it should not mean avoiding the dentist.

Many dentists offer payment plans through third party carriers so patients can pay for treatment over an extended period of time. Ask your dentist if they have such an option. The point here is to get a plan. Once a plan is established, your dentist can work with you to prioritize and sequence your treatment. This way, if you need to spread your treatment over a period of time to make it affordable, you can pick away at a well thought out plan.

Time is an excuse. We all use time as an excuse for many of the things in our lives we want to avoid or procrastinate on. The reality is, however, if we place something high enough in our value system there is always time for it. In order to move something higher up in our value system, we must be educated and come to realize that this particular thing is of benefit to us. If you want better health/quality of life and to avoid the pitfalls of neglect, make the time.

The most common reason people avoid ideal dental care is lack of concern. Lack of concern about dental health is prevalent in our population for a few reasons. Absence of pain is one. Other than “nerve gone bad” need for a root canal, there few things that actually cause pain. Gum disease is a perfect example. About 75% of the population has some form of this disease but only 50% of the population goes to the dentist. Why? No pain. This doesn’t mean it is healthy and there are not problems down the road like loss of teeth. It is up to the dentist to educate patients on these types of issues, but people have to actually go to the dentist to get this information.

Some people fear going to the dentist….and for good reason, due to bad past experiences or bad information. However, dentistry today should be a comfortable experience most of the time. For those who are still fearful, there are different medications dentists can use to ease the experience. Avoidance cannot make the situation better. Most fearful patients are cured by finding the right dental team.

The last barrier to ideal treatment is trust. For a patient to move forward with treatment, it is essential the patient both like and trust the dentist. Although I am sure that the skills of your dentist are important to you, I am willing to bet that you would not stay with a dentist that you did not like or trust. Find someone you can connect with and build a strong doctor-patient relationship.