About

I know many people that have extreme fears of going to the dentist. I don’t know what it is - whether it’s the feeling of people losing control, being in pain, or just the dentist itself, people are really afraid of the dentist! That being said, I know that it is important to be going to the dentist regularly for a checkup. Now I know that this is not something that anyone wants to do, and I’m not going to sit here and pretend like going to the dentist is going to be a good time. However, I do know that good dental hygiene is super important, especially as one goes into adulthood. I remember back to when I was a kid, I used to hate going to the dentist. Not only did it make me nervous and uncomfortable, I also didn’t really understand why it was so important.  My teeth always seemed fine to me and that should be enough, right? Wrong. My mom was adamant about taking me to the dentist every 6 months, and I can honestly say I’m really glad she did. I know too many people in my adult life who suffer from rotten teeth or deteriorating gums, and I am just glad I had parents who cared about the future of my mouth and teeth.

Now that I’m an adult, I rarely ever go to the dentist. I guess it’s just something that doesn’t ever cross my mind. The last time I went to the dentist was to get my wisdom teeth removed, but even then the dental surgeon didn’t do any sort of check up or anything. I imagine if I had cavities or something like that they would have shown up on the x-rays, so I’m sure that I’m fine in that area. After doing a bit of research online, I have found that it is recommended you go to the dentist twice a year - so roughly 6 months, like what my mom used to do for me. The benefit of going to the dentist is mostly for preventative measures I believe. Sure, they can clean your teeth a bit and give you a few tips, but this can be mostly done at home on your own. The real benefit of going to a dentist is so that they can catch any problems that are arising before they get too bad. Dentists have special tools and trained eyes to see things like cavities, gingivitis, and other oral problems before we are even able to spot them on our own. 

Going to the dentist is definitely a huge way to prevent falling into any sort of complications with your gums, teeth, or mouth in general. However, I can’t say that I myself have been living up to this standard, since I rarely ever go to the dentist anymore. My teeth are clean and I try my best to brush, floss, and whiten them to a socially accepted standard. Maybe at some point in the future I will try to be more disciplined about going to the dentist on regular occasions. I know that right now I feel way too busy and don’t have very much money. In fact, I am pretty poor and don’t have any health insurance at the moment. Going to the dentist is a little bit out of the question for me right now anyways.