This article was written by a young person from Wigan.
Last time I went for my dental appointment, I admit that I was scared. My usual dentist was on maternity leave and I am usually scared of her anyway, so a temporary dentist had the potential to be even worse!
I had no reason to be scared, though. In fact, she was lovely and identified that I needed some gum treatment. Now that I have had it done, my gums and teeth look so much more healthy and I was grateful for the treatment, despite the little bit of pain involved.
The reason why most people are scared of the dentist is probably to do with the pain they might have, plus of course, the obvious fact that it isn’t particularly fun to have a stranger’s hand in your mouth!
Why go to the dentist?
Dental health is so important. Problems such as toothache, abscesses and gum problems are extremely painful and it is best to prevent them by maintaining good dental health by brushing your teeth twice a day, using mouthwash, dental floss, or whatever other methods your dentist recommends.
Your teeth are not just used for chewing food, they are also part of what people see as a whole when you smile at them. For that reason, too, it is good to maintain healthy teeth so they are not unpleasant to look at.
At the same time, you should never feel insecure about your teeth. I have a gap-tooth and I have sometimes felt insecure about my smile because of it, but realise now that it is not a negative feature.
One of my friends even sent me an article about gap-tooth models which made me see that it isn’t a feature which affects your looks negatively. So, do not ever feel that you are less pretty than other people because you have a crooked tooth or someone else has whiter teeth…or you have a gap-tooth!
If you really do feel insecure about your teeth, there are many treatments which can be given to help, such as whitening treatments, braces, veneers, etc.
Useful websites