{"id":255,"date":"2024-05-15T20:42:17","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T20:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/?p=255"},"modified":"2024-08-12T21:26:23","modified_gmt":"2024-08-12T21:26:23","slug":"dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/","title":{"rendered":"Friend or Foe? Why There\u2019s Nothing to Fear When Visiting the Dentist\u2019s Office"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943.jpg\" alt=\"woman fearful of the dentist\" class=\"wp-image-256\" style=\"width:293px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>According to dental statistics compiled in 2022 by some of the most well-known health organizations in the U.S. and throughout the world, it is believed that an estimated 65% of adults 18 years of age and older visited the dentist within the previous year. While this percentage can be viewed positively, it may cause you to wonder why the other 35% chose to avoid their appointment. Keep reading to discover why so many patients choose not to engage in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/sedation-dentistry.htm\">dental visit<\/a>, and if you\u2019re feeling hesitant, learn why there\u2019s no reason to be fearful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Reasons Are Common for Avoiding a Dental Visit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are one of the many individuals who do not like visiting the dentist, you may find there are countless excuses that you can use to get out of an appointment. Since you\u2019re not alone in your feelings, here are just some of the most common reasons you might give when it comes to avoiding regular oral healthcare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Dental Anxiety: <\/strong>Past dental trauma, a sensitive gag reflex, a fear of needles, the inability to sit still, difficulty getting numb with anesthesia, or the sights and sounds in a dentist\u2019s office are all reasons you may want to \u201creschedule\u201d or cancel your appointment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost:<\/strong> If you\u2019re worried that you won\u2019t be able to afford your dental visit, you may decide to \u201csave money\u201d by skipping regular dental visits. Just like those who avoid these appointments out of fear, you could face worsening symptoms that lead to costlier treatment down the road.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Limited Operating Hours:<\/strong> If your dentist is only open during work hours and you can never seem to find time to get away from the office, you may find it difficult to get in for a dental checkup and cleaning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your Oral Health is \u201cFine:\u201d <\/strong>It\u2019s not uncommon for many patients to avoid visiting the dentist, especially if they don\u2019t think their smile is in any danger. The reality, though, is that problems can exist beneath the gumline and in areas unseen by untrained professionals. Regular oral healthcare can detect problems early on and help you avoid timelier and costlier care.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why You Don\u2019t Need to Fear Visiting the Dentist<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>No matter the reason for avoiding the dentist\u2019s office, you\u2019ll find that there are various reasons why it\u2019s better to seek out regular care as opposed to continuing to neglect these appointments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, your dentist is your friend, not a foe. They are in the business of taking care of smiles, not judging and making you feel bad about your oral health. They want to help. Second, many dental offices offer sedation dentistry if you are fearful of these visits. By discussing your options, you\u2019ll learn which one can help you remain at ease during your appointments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doing your research to find a dentist with convenient hours can help ensure that you get the care you need when you need it. Also, using your dental insurance to pay for treatment can alleviate the financial burden you might be worried about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your oral health is important, and you don\u2019t want to take a chance on letting it go without regular care and maintenance. Seeing a trusted dentist can be the most effective way to smile confidently and improve your overall well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About the Author<\/strong><br>Dr. Jonathan Mason graduated from Hamilton College before attending the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine and earning his degree in 2006. He then went on to the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia, completing a one-year residency. Now with his own practice, he is pleased to create a space where patients can come and receive high-quality, comfortable, and one-of-a-kind dental care. With a team that is devoted to ensuring positive experiences, we encourage you and your loved ones to visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/contact-us.html\">website<\/a> or call <strong>(802) 362-1099<\/strong> to learn how we can help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>According to dental statistics compiled in 2022 by some of the most well-known health organizations in the U.S. and throughout the world, it is believed that an estimated 65% of adults 18 years of age and older visited the dentist within the previous year. While this percentage can be viewed positively, it may cause you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dental Visit | Common Reasons for Anxiety | Dr. Jonathan Mason<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Worried about your upcoming dental visit? Learn why others express anxiety about these visits and why you have nothing to fear.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dental Visit | Common Reasons for Anxiety | Dr. Jonathan Mason\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Worried about your upcoming dental visit? Learn why others express anxiety about these visits and why you have nothing to fear.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jonathan E. Mason, DMD Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-15T20:42:17+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-08-12T21:26:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"drmason\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"drmason\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/\",\"name\":\"Dental Visit | Common Reasons for Anxiety | Dr. Jonathan Mason\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-05-15T20:42:17+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-12T21:26:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0872dc4dcd5e738e5e3ac24bad3b20de\"},\"description\":\"Worried about your upcoming dental visit? Learn why others express anxiety about these visits and why you have nothing to fear.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":533},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Friend or Foe? Why There\u2019s Nothing to Fear When Visiting the Dentist\u2019s Office\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Jonathan E. Mason, DMD Blog\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0872dc4dcd5e738e5e3ac24bad3b20de\",\"name\":\"drmason\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0c8c2bbdf2a172bd4d510f4c0ffba5ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0c8c2bbdf2a172bd4d510f4c0ffba5ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"drmason\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/author\/drmason\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Dental Visit | Common Reasons for Anxiety | Dr. Jonathan Mason","description":"Worried about your upcoming dental visit? Learn why others express anxiety about these visits and why you have nothing to fear.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Dental Visit | Common Reasons for Anxiety | Dr. Jonathan Mason","og_description":"Worried about your upcoming dental visit? Learn why others express anxiety about these visits and why you have nothing to fear.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/","og_site_name":"Jonathan E. Mason, DMD Blog","article_published_time":"2024-05-15T20:42:17+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-08-12T21:26:23+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943.jpg"}],"author":"drmason","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"drmason","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/","url":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/","name":"Dental Visit | Common Reasons for Anxiety | Dr. Jonathan Mason","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943.jpg","datePublished":"2024-05-15T20:42:17+00:00","dateModified":"2024-08-12T21:26:23+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0872dc4dcd5e738e5e3ac24bad3b20de"},"description":"Worried about your upcoming dental visit? Learn why others express anxiety about these visits and why you have nothing to fear.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/AdobeStock_305220175__1723423558_14943.jpg","width":800,"height":533},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/dental-visit-why-you-have-nothing-to-fear\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Friend or Foe? Why There\u2019s Nothing to Fear When Visiting the Dentist\u2019s Office"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/","name":"Jonathan E. Mason, DMD Blog","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0872dc4dcd5e738e5e3ac24bad3b20de","name":"drmason","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0c8c2bbdf2a172bd4d510f4c0ffba5ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0c8c2bbdf2a172bd4d510f4c0ffba5ed?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"drmason"},"url":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/author\/drmason\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=255"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":257,"href":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/255\/revisions\/257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=255"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=255"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.manchestervtdentist.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=255"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}