4 Scary Dental Terms and What They Really Mean

Does Dental Fear Keep You
 From Seeing Your Dentist?

Dental fear and anxiety are common challenges for many dental patients.  In fact, some people are so afraid of the dentist that they avoid important treatment often until their dental problems become so severe that treatment is extensive and more stressful.  At the Dallas dental office of Dr. Jack E. Burroughs, patients appreciate being treated with kindness and compassion.  The availability of options such as nitrous oxide sedation help make dental care easy and comfortable.  Some things about going to the dentist are just scary for people, and some of the terminology can incite feelings of stress and anxiety.  Some of the scariest words in dentistry are described here, along with their true meanings in order to help shed some light on what they mean.  Sometimes, the fear of the unknown is worse than anything else- knowing more about the things you fear can help make them less scary.

Injection- Everybody's least favorite dental term.  An injection of local anesthetic is necessary to provide pain control for invasive dental procedures such as fillings and crowns.  Just because an injection is a "shot", doesn't mean that getting one has to be very painful.  Most often, a topical anesthetic gel is first applied to the injection site, helping numb the area beforehand.  You will feel a mild pinch at first, which becomes numb and painless almost immediately.  After a few minutes, the anesthetic medication does it's job, temporarily preventing the transmission of pain impulses to your brain, making treatment comfortable and painless.

Drill-  The scariest part of a dental drill is the noise.  In reality, a dental drill is an extremely specialized precision instrument capable of removing even the tiniest areas of tooth decay without damaging the surrounding tooth.  If it were not for the noise made by the motor, a dental drill would not be scary at all.  One of the best ways to take your mind off the noise is to wear headphones playing your favorite music.  The loud noise can make you nervous, so if you struggle with anxiety about the dental drill, tell your dentist.  He can help by offering nitrous oxide sedation, medication or at the very least keeping the drill use to a minimum by providing frequent breaks.

Scaling-  The word 'scaling' just has an unpleasant sound symbolism when you say it.  Scaling is actually a specialized dental cleaning procedure that helps treat and reverse gum disease.  Using a special instrument or an ultrasonic scaler, your dentist can remove hardened plaque and bacteria which has taken hold on or near the tooth roots.  The work is performed on the outside of the tooth and root surface, so there is typically little discomfort following treatment.  The word 'scaling' might sound terrible, but the actual treatment can prevent painful problems with the teeth and gums in the future. 

Root Canal-  The fearsome root canal has cause dread in the hearts of dental patients for decades.  The truth is, every tooth has at least one root canal.  The root canal is the passageway in the center of the tooth pulp through which the nerve and blood vessel travel.  When the tooth develops an abscess from chronic infection, it is sometimes necessary to remove the vital structures within the tooth in order to prevent recurrence and eventual tooth loss.  While you are numb and comfortable, your dentist will use precision instruments to remove these vital structures and place a filling within the root canal.  This procedure helps prevent the tooth from becoming infected again in the future, as well as prevents the tooth from aching. 

No matter the cause of your dental fear, sometimes just knowing more about the treatment you need can help make it easier to tolerate. Have we missed any important fearsome dental terms in this post?  Share your most hated dental word in the comments!  If you suffer with anxiety about going to the dentist, contact our compassionate team for guidance on how Dr. Burroughs and Forest Lane Dental can help you relax about your next dental appointment.