Report to the People
The Fear of the Dentist
Why are so many people of a certain age terrified of the dentist?
It probably comes from the fact that, because our mothers were convinced they could cut our hair just as well as any barber, they assumed the same applied to dentistry.
We've all heard stories about getting teeth pulled out (sometimes even the right ones) with the aid of a length of thread and a door handle.
I am proud to say, though, that I have now overcome this fear and visit my dentist as regular as clockwork. Every 12 years, whether I need it or not, I am dragged and nagged into the chair only to be told, surprisingly enough, that I should visit the dentist more often.
Of course modern dentistry bears no relation to the haphazard torture we remember from our childhood. Indeed, when toothache drove me to the dentist's surgery the other Friday, I was struck by how comfortable and relaxing it was. And, apart from a severe berating from the dentist for leaving it so long, the whole process was brief and painless.
When you consider the excruciating pain of toothache, our fear of a 20 minute visit to the dentist every 6 months seems ridiculous.
But it is also dangerous. Dentists are on the front line when it comes to spotting diseases such as Oral Cancer. Although, like all cancers, the sooner Oral Cancer is identified the better, it still manages to kill 30 people in Argyll & Clyde every year. Victims are mainly older men who smoke and drink, but younger men are now also developing it.
More worryingly, though, our poor behaviour seems to be rubbing off on our children.
Two thirds of 5 year olds in Scotland now suffer from tooth decay. In disadvantaged areas it is worse, with a 5 year old child in a deprived part of Argyll & Clyde having only a 1 in 5 chance of being free from tooth decay. By the time he's 12, he has 3 times as many damaged teeth as his counterpart from a better off area.
And while action is being taken (for example, supervised brushing programmes nurseries; and efforts to increase the number of children registered with a dentist) it is up to us to set an example.
By encouraging children to look after their teeth, we protect them from painful problems in later life. Taking them to the dentist is a key part of this. And you never know, it might put you in the mood for a quick check-up yourself.
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