Physical Therapy

Sedation and Phobia Dentist providing dental treatment in Brighton and near Croydon, UK

I was at a Children’s Party this Summer for a fellow classmate of my 4 year old son. I was talking to one of the mums there about her little boy Charlie and his recent experiences with the Dentist. I had mentioned to her that I was a Phobia Dentist, treating people who were really nervous of going to the dentist so she explained all.

Charlie had a cavity. His mum knew about it already, she had spotted a black mark on one of his baby teeth. Charlie was complaining about this tooth every time he ate so it was obviously starting to cause him pain. Charlie hadn’t been to the dentist yet, she dint feel he was old enough to understand and probably wouldn’t have kept still in the chair.

Mum was already absolutely mortified, was she being a really bad mother? Had she been feeding her child lots of sweets? Was Charlie not brushing enough? Her child was in pain and she believed it was her fault, how could she have let this go unnoticed? Was it her fault her child was suffering? The guilt was already building up and really would not be helped by what happened next.

So, she went to a local dentist. It really didn’t go well. Firstly, the Dentist AND the Dental Assistant made the mum feel so small, so patronised for allowing Charlie to have sweets and fizzy drinks, not brushing enough and not having been to a dentist earlier to prevent the cavity from appearing in the first place. Mum knew all this already, was already feeling guilty, so that guilt was absolutely confirmed by the Dentist. Mum at this point is wondering where the exit is.

The Dentists starts to have a go at Charlie, telling him he’s having too many sweets and not brushing enough. Charlie is getting worried, he’s being told off by two strangers who have masks and gloves on, with a bright light shining in his face. If you’ve seen horror films before, isn’t this sounding familiar?

Then the dentist proceeds to try to fix the problem with his drill. High pitched noises of the drill, lots of water spray, high powered suction to get rid of the water, Charlie really isn’t happy, he starts crying. The Dentist isn’t having it, is losing his patience, “don’t be silly, lie still, it wont hurt”.

Mum plucks up courage and says to the dentist “tell you what, we will leave it there, I’ll go somewhere else” and walks out.

The challenge now is to persuade Charlie that going to the Dentist can be nice and fun, not scary, it can be comfy and gentle, no one has to tell you off. The challenge now is to get the filling that needs doing done without making worse the dental phobia that is starting to build in Charlies head. The challenge now is to carry on dental treatment without needing Dental Sedation.

The dentist had been trying a very old fashioned Healthcare approach. In that one visit, he was trying to fix the problem with the tooth, prevent the problem coming back by “not so gentle” rebuking, thinking that that will improve the child’s health. Sure if it works, that will improve health in the very short term, but Charlie wont be going back to a dentist in a hurry and if he does develop further problems with his teeth its going to be a lot harder to treat. So, long term healthcare is being jeopardised by trying to improve Charlie’s health in just the one visit. You still hear of stories of Dentists restraining “difficult children”, although as a practice it is thankfully dying out.

So, how do we prevent our Children getting to this situation in the first place? Fortunately it is not too complicated.

The little known Truths about Kids Cavities

Cavities in baby teeth are very common, especially in areas where there is no Fluoride in the water. So if you think that you are the only mum or dad to have a child with a cavity, think again! Cavities in baby back teeth often start without any signs at all and are difficult to spot in the early stages, even for a dentist. Often the first sign there is of a problem is an black or grey mark in top of the tooth, and probably a obvious dent where the top of the enamel has broken down. Cavities are surprising easy to start. You don’t need lots of sugar, lots of sweets or fizzy drinks, we often see children who have lots of sweets (freely admitted by parents) with no sign of cavities. The question is WHEN rather than HOW MUCH.

Teeth are under acid attack from plaque bacteria all day, even with the best brushing in the world. The reason why cavities aren’t forming all the time is that the enamel has the ability to repair itself, often called “re-mineralisation”. Let’s have a look what happens to the tooth from a single hit of sugar:

1. Sugar hits the teeth from most meals, sweets, cakes, drinks etc.
2. The bacteria on the teeth turn the sugar into acid
3. The acid starts to weaken the enamel
4. The sugar gets washed away over the next few hours by the saliva
5. As the sugar levels in the mouth drop, the bacteria run out of their food and stop producing acid
6. The minerals in the Saliva deposit back into the de-mineralised areas and re-hardens them.
7. The tooth returns to normal.

Any sugar, whether it is hidden in foods or milk, or pretty well “neat” has the ability to cause a cavity. The problem comes when the teeth don’t get a chance to rest between attacks and remineralise. Have a look at those points again but this time, insert more sugar in that two hour period of rest. When the sugar gets reintroduced in that few hours, you go back up to the top of the cycle again. More and more de-mineralisation occurs and soon a cavity forms.

So it really isn’t whether you have five biscuits or one in between meals, if you don’t give the teeth a rest, a cavity will develop.

So, the best plan is to keep sugar to around mealtimes, avoiding the cheeky biscuit in between meals and make sure that no sugar hits the teeth at least on hour before bedtime.

The challenge of brushing Kids teeth!

As we said earlier, even the best brushing in the world cant rid your whole mouth of plaque bacteria, little children cant floss particularly well, kids brushing is often sporadic (it can be in my house) so you do the best you can! As dentists, we believe that one of the main reasons for brushing, apart from reducing the amount of bacteria about, is to get Fluoride onto the teeth. Fluoride is well proven to strengthen teeth in lots of ways, as they develop in the jaw but also as they re-mineralise, repairing teeth with stronger reinforced enamel, more resistant to acid attack.

Twice a day with a suitable level of Fluoride is normally recommended but if your child is at risk of cavities, it may be sensible for your dentist to supplement the fluoride intake with drops or chewable tablets. I would advise against the use of Non-Mint toothpaste because it is a nightmare to get kids off the fruity ones onto quite strong tasting adult mint toothpaste. Kids toothpastes come in mild mint flavours which are quite pleasant. Kids toothpastes don’t contain too much fluoride so it is alright for kids to suck on their brush after they’ve cleaned.

The one other piece of advice is to avoid brushing immediately after high acid foods and drinks, like citrus juices and fizzy drinks. The loose enamel gets brushed away and thins the teeth. Leave it at least an hour.

Sounds obvious, but a Healthy diet is very useful

A good healthy diet is essential, including roughage. High fibre foods are very good at reducing plaque build up as they knock bits of plaque off the teeth, more liquid of soft diets allow food to push and get stuck in between the teeth. The is a whole article that could be written about Healthy diet for good teeth, there just isn’t space here. Just make sure it is balanced and everything in moderation!

Regular Positive Dental Visits

Find a good dentist who is understanding, fun and patient with children. Get them in early, say around the age of two, bring them with you for your checkup, just to see you in the chair, don’t hurry them to get in the chair and have a checkup, if your child is showing signs of reluctance to sit in the chair, don’t force the situation, keep it light and leave it for a month or so. Any pressure early on from parent or dentist, not allowing the child to get naturally settled with the idea of showing their teeth to a stranger, can affect their confidence and slow down the amount of time it takes them to trust the “stranger” dentist.

Find a dentist who likes Preventative Dentistry, we have some great technology available to us now like the Diagnodent Laser Cavity detector, which can find cavities before x-rays, without you feeling anything.

Read some stories with your child about “Going to the Dentist” a few days before their visit. There are lots of fun books out there that are great at reducing the initial scepticism that the child may have. One tip though, read the book yourself first in the bookshop before buying, don’t read them any book that introduces the words “pain”, “fear”, “hurt”. Believe me, I’ve found books like that. If you start associating a trip to the dentist with these words even slightly related, the child will wonder why. Avoid these words at home, phrases like “it wont hurt” have the opposite intention on a child! Keep all your talk positive, explain what the dentist will probably be doing, the ride in the chair, the dental mirror, opening your mouth wide “like a lion roaring”, counting your teeth and the bribery of the sticker. A child who understands will be more likely to get in the chair without apprehension.

So, to summarise, it is quite easy to get cavities in kids teeth, they can be prevented by rationing sugary things to mealtimes, giving the teeth a break in between, the best brushing you can get with a kids Fluoride toothpaste and above all, keep very positive about going to the dentist, avoiding associations with negative things like pain, fear and hurt. That way your child will be able to have long term confidence in the dentist and dental nurse, making any future treatment easier to achieve.

Agoraphobia, like any other anxiety problem is a dreadful disease. People who have been experiencing this become self doubting and anti-social. Such characteristics can further develop into a more serious psychological problem which can be suicidal too. However, overcoming agoraphobia at the earlier stage of this condition can prevent this from happening.

First method of overcoming agoraphobia is to overcome panic attack as the major factor of developing agoraphobia. Practically speaking, help from the expert is needed here, especially if panic attack is recurring already. Undergoing medication and psychotherapy are mostly advisable. Programs such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Brainwave Programming, and Hypnotherapy are known effective methods in overcoming agoraphobia. Activities include discussion and mind relaxation which are done to relieve anxiety and the factors causing it.

Manage your stress level. The best way to do this is to keep away from things that can trigger your stress. If you are exposed to exhausting daily chores, take some time off to just sit and relax. Empty your mind for a moment and start meditating. If you must, you can go to a quiet place where you can find peace. It is very important that you take break between periods. All of us deserve a break once in a while. When stress is well managed already, so does anxiety. If both of these are well managed, you wouldn’t have to fear of panic attack, therefore, agoraphobia will no longer exist.

Get involved. People with agoraphobia problem tend to become anti-social. If this is true to you, then don’t make this an excuse of confining yourself in your room. Start a plain conversation to your love ones or to people that you feel you have full authority with. Best example is to talk to a 4 year old kid. With this kid, you don’t have to worry about committing mistake or to be overthrown by worries. Another way is to face yourself in the mirror and start talking as if you’re talking to somebody else. Later on, facing other people and talking in front of them will no longer be difficult for you.

Explore new things. There are so many things to explore in this word. Discover the things that you enjoy doing either by yourself or with someone else. Taking pictures, drawing, playing video games with friends are just some examples. If you must go to places away from home, make sure you have someone to accompany and assist you. As time goes by, you would learn to manage your anxiety and overcoming agoraphobia will then be easy for you.

I’m afraid of heights and small places. I can’t stand in an elevator with too many people, or go shopping during a sale because I start to breathe heavy and feel there is no way out. I can’t look down when I’m on a bridge, and I close my eyes when I’m with someone who is driving through a tunnel. After all, what happens if the bridge springs a leak and the tunnel floods?

Sound familiar?

Phobias are the unrelenting fears of a situation, activity or thing that causes one to want to avoid it.

It’s common for us to have phobias or fears. How about a fear of heights (acrophobia) and a fear of closed in spaces (claustrophobia)? Come to think of it, what about a fear of flying over water? I have a friend who believes that drowning would be worse than crashing on land. Both would be horrific, but somehow she fears drowning more.

If you have a phobia, you know it. It can be anything and everything and it most likely comes with a name. There are three types of phobias, social phobias, which are the fears of public speaking, meeting new people and other social situations; agoraphobia, which is a fear of being outside; and specific phobias, like a fear of a particular item or situation.

Did you know that a fear of clowns is called “coulrophobia” or that a fear of needles is called “aichmophobia”?

As experts put it, you can actually be afraid of something but it doesn’t become a phobia unless it interferes with your life or sense of well-being. If you are a business person and you are up for a promotion that involves lots of air travel and you already had a fear of flying, guess what, now you officially have a phobia.

I have a friend who went on a trip to the Holy Land in Israel and it took her a long time to make the down payment and go. Why? Not because she lacked the money, but rather, because she knew she would have to confront her fears. First, she couldn’t get there without flying over water, and second, the large majority of the places she was going to visit were underground in caves and grottos. So, how did she do it?

Well, let’s be honest. Because flying over water freaked her out so much, she had to take a sleeping pill. But, it wasn’t long and she arrived safely and soundly.

Being only the start of her fears, she had an even harder time getting over the fear of small places, but she took it one situation at a time with baby steps. That’s where she went right. It was the first location of her trip that she kind of just stood on the edge and scoped out the room below. As the tour went a long, she slowly inched her way closer. The fear was still there, but not as monumental as she confronted it slowly.

She found it hard, especially when she was celebrating mass in the place where the Catholics believe Jesus is buried. It was small, the wall space narrow, and there was a large group of people pushing and shoving to get a spot. And, even though she didn’t think she could do it, she also understood that she couldn’t ‘NOT’ do it. She told herself that she couldn’t let her fear win and went for it. The people in her group understood and she rotated in and out as best as she could. She would take a lot of deep breaths and kept telling herself she could do it. Even though she couldn’t stay in there for long, just long enough to see what she was there for, she was still able to face her fears.

It’s hard to face fears we have. For my friend, she weighed out the pros and cons and took the steps she was able to, in order to get past those fears. This is one approach to facing your fears, but experts also say you should research your believed outcome in an attempt to lessen the fear as well. For example, an individual who is determined their plane will crash, may want to consider the statistics surrounding that.

For the more extreme cases, some phobias have been treated using beta-blocker medications, which decrease the physical symptoms associated with panic by blocking the effects that adrenaline has on the body.

Either way, fear is something we all face in some form or fashion. How we deal with it is varies from person to person. But, in no shape or form should we ever let fear get in the way of our dreams and where we are going. As former US President Teddy Roosevelt said, “I believe that anyone can conquer a fear by doing the things he fears to do.”

Whatever you set out to do, it is important that you are guided with the appropriate methods to ensure the success of whatever you wish to accomplish. Same goes with learning the methods of agoraphobia treatment. These methods, will serve as your guide in accomplishing our objective. And when such methods are followed accordingly will guarantee your success.

When you aim for agoraphobia treatment, you’ll find it essential that you do things the right way. If you don’t, the results won’t be too favorable. You will only end up losing your hope to achieve agoraphobia treatment, or perhaps will make things worsen.

Allow me to share a helpful list of methods you can consider to treat agoraphobia and here they are:

1. Undergo psychological treatment such as Cognitive Behavioral Method.

This method is done through a series of mind relaxation exercises to relieve the anxiety in the person. It usually takes several sessions before the person is completely relieved from anxiety and treated from agoraphobia. But it pays off when you already achieved good result from effective methods for agoraphobia treatment and living a normal life.

2. Keep away from stress.

Stress is one of the major factors that can trigger an anxiety disorder such as agoraphobia. When your stress level is too high, your mind and body will lose the balance and so anxiety disorder becomes inevitable. So if you’re aiming for a total agoraphobia treatment, keep your stress level at low level and keep away from things that cause stress.

3. Share your problems.

This is easy with the help of other people and these people should be your love ones and professionals to this field. Coping with stress and anxiety is easier when you are able to release the tension inside you. Do not keep things to yourself, especially those which are beyond you. Remember that no man is an island so we may not admit it, but it’s a fact that a person cannot survive being alone. Our family, friends and special someone are there to play the role of companion and comforter so do not hesitate to ask for their help.

Take note that agoraphobia treatment should start from you. If you have no will and drive to make things happen, then it will happen. You are only battling with fear – something that you can always overcome if you only will it.

Whether it is an enclosed plane or an intimidating MRI scan, some people just cannot take it in confined spaces. There are individuals who get panic attacks if they are trapped in some confined area. People encounter such places quite often in their lives. For instance, an elevator happens to be a totally restricted space. A claustrophobic person will take stairs rather than go by the elevator. Cramped areas are also quite common in workplaces. Forcing a worker in any such place can be risky. If you do so, you may have to face a worker’s comp lawyer or Workers comp attorney. However, it is the confined space that is a bigger enemy of claustrophobic people.

A person suffering from the fear of confined spaces will never be comfortable in such a place. However, there are various levels of anxiety. For instance, some claustrophobic individuals can force themselves to travel by an elevator, but get extremely nervous at the sight of an MRI scanner. The idea of going inside a machine can be troubling for any normal human, let alone a claustrophobic one.

The panic attack mainly follows an increased heart rate along with lightheadedness, nausea and a feeling of suffocation. In severe cases, the person just gets out of control and can even get injured due to panicking.

Those suffering from this condition get deeply embarrassed and are really irritated by this irrational fear. Often you will find them angry with themselves or apologizing for their behavior. It is also the shame of fear that is more unsettling to them and perhaps, the biggest obstacle in their treatment. If you are also facing such problems, then here are some ways to get rid of this sensation.

Mind Control

Think about the feeling you get when being restricted to a confined area. Is it shortness of breath, nervousness or any other sensation? Say it out loud. Recognizing those feelings will help you get better control over your fear.

Calm Down

Use some relaxing technique so you can remain calm under stress. Try to calm yourself when you know you are about to enter some confined space. This will help you maintain control. Also wearing some loose or comfortable clothing will help you pass through the awkward feeling. Listening to some soothing music can also be a good distraction.

Communication

Apart from other things, communication is one thing that really works out. The feeling of being alone in some restricted space is awful and talking while being in a confined space will drift your mind away from fear.

Stay Away From Threatening Situations

It is best not to put yourself in threatening situations without any real need. Instead, try to desensitize yourself by exposing yourself to small confined rooms. Brief exposure to your fear is the first step to deal with this phobia.

Treatment

Hypnosis can be an effective treatment in this regard. This will help to find the original cause that resulted in the phobia. Dealing with your fear after that becomes quite easy.

With these tips, you will be on your way to beat claustrophobia. If you have the courage to face your enemy, you can successfully eliminate this fear from your life.

Please allow me to introduce you to the bed bugs, some of the most common and often talked about household pests. And Scientists think they’re developing new and stronger immunities to traditional pesticides.

They are tiny parasitic insects of the Cimicidae family who dine on human blood. This is the reason why they like to crawl their way into your house and take up residence there. They are usually about 5-7 millimeters in length, wingless, and often mistaken for ticks. Adults have a reddish-brown color which is a deeper red after they’ve been feeding on your blood.

“Sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite!” We always say this when we go to sleep and rarely do we actually think these little buggers are crawling all over us while we’re sleeping and drink our blood. These nasty critters were very common in the United States before World War 2, and their populations began to decline with the use of DDT and other pesticides. But in recent years, they’re making a comeback.

Are Bed Bugs Dangerous?

Usually, they feed on you while you’re sleeping. While they can live in any part of the house, they have a preference for bedrooms and sofas, where humans spend a long time sitting or laying, unaware that they’re being nibbled on. It doesn’t hurt when one starts feeding on you, but you may wake up in the morning with something like a mosquito bite, and this means you’ve been visited.

In fact, you may be a delicious treat for a legion of bed bugs for weeks and not even know it. The pin pricks are so small and painless that we may not be aware of them at all. After weeks of nightly feeding, your skin begins to develop an allergic reaction to their saliva. This is what ends up itching or hurting. Often by the time you’re aware of them, they’ve been chewing on you for quite a while.

How Did They Get In?

Probably the only way to ensure that you’ll never have them is to lock up your house, never leave and never let anyone else in. We usually bring them in with us. They hop onto our clothes when we’re visiting other peoples’ houses, or they may come as a free bonus with used furniture or clothing. You might bring them back as a souvenir from a trip you took. If you live in an apartment, they can crawl from your neighbor’s place into yours through cracks in the wall. All of these easy ways for them to get in makes it extremely hard to prevent infestation.

How Can I Kill Them?

The best way to rid yourself of these pests is to clean incessantly. Especially, make sure to clean bed covers, fabrics and furniture. Regular vacuuming and steam cleaning work very well too. Whenever you buy new furniture or clothes, take a trip or have guests over, do a little extra cleaning afterwards to make sure.

Another proven way to get rid of them is to call pest control professionals. They can guarantee to get rid of them once and for all, and then you can keep your house or apartment free of them through caution and cleaning. They can also do tests to see if the problem you have is bed bugs.

Despite the increase of people who are sick of serious illnesses including diabetes, cancer, and heart disorders, there are actually thousands who don’t see their doctor. It’s not because they cannot cover the costs. It’s because they are extremely scared to talk to a physician.

That is going to be detrimental and even life threatening. After all, there’s no way for you to know what your body is going through unless you will have yourself checked. If you’re suffering from medical phobia, just remember the following tips:

1. Know the reason for the scare. What’s the main reason why you don’t want to meet a doctor in the first place? Is it because you have a bad experience before? Was your doctor truly bad? Get to the bottom, and it may be much easier for you to find the right solution to your issue.

For example, if you have been traumatized by an evil doctor, you can ask for recommendations from good friends and family for the best physician in town.

2. Learn to look. It’s very important that your doctor isn’t just a health care professional. He or she should also be your friend. Your general welfare and comfort should be his or her utmost priorities. Thus, don’t immediately settle for the first one you’re going to see. If you feel like he or she sounds too stiff and doesn’t support some of your decisions, then he or she is not the right doctor for you.

3. Have someone to be with you. You don’t have to go through every test or medical checkup alone. You can bring along a friend or a family member. He or she can make you feel a lot more secure, as your companion represents your comfort zone. You can also hold his or her hand or talk to the person should you feel really nervous to meet your doctor.

4. Discuss your fright. You can call the doctor beforehand and tell him or her about your apprehensions and phobia. An excellent doctor can adjust certain things for you. For instance, you may not see him or her donning on the white garb during your visit. He or she may also make use of friendlier instruments during your examination and can provide you with the right words of encouragement.

5. Improve your perception. You can definitely get over your phobia with the use of subliminal messages. You can feed subliminal messages into your subconscious during meditation or hypnosis. The purpose of these messages is to enhance your manner of thinking. For your fear of doctors, you can use the following subliminal messages:

I take care of myself.
I give more value over my health.
I give my full trust to my doctor.
I am aware that the doctor is my best guide for excellent health.
I can combat my fear of health care.

As you say these subliminal messages over and over, your belief system on doctors can gradually change, making you feel more comfortable and at ease.

Fear of Flying. If this is your problem, then read this to discover that it is possible, with the right techniques, to outsmart your emotions and learn to actually enjoy flying. Does this person’s description from Yahoo Answers sound all too painfully familiar?

I am claustrophobic and just feel all closed in in a tunnel in a plane….its not even that I’m so worried about it crashing…it’s just that I don’t feel in control, and how can I get over this fear quickly?

Fear of flying can interfere with your plans when you need to travel by air. You need to be free to be able to travel for so many important reasons. Those reasons might be holidays, business trips, vacations, visiting a friend or family, or just wanting to experience new places. Fear of flying can cripple you in your career, family connections and limit your life experiences.

Like many people, do you bravely decide that this time it will be different, but at the last minute either cannot get on the plane, or do but spend hours in abject terror? In order to be able to overcome this fear and anxiety you have to follow these systematic steps:

1. Identify the causes and triggers of your fear and anxiety about flying. Any number of factors can contribute:

• Claustrophobia – fear of enclosed spaces
• Agoraphobia – the fear of open spaces
• Acrophobia – the fear of heights
• Fear of a panic attack in public
• Fear of an accident
• Fear of a hijacking
• A previously traumatizing travel experience
• Sensational reports in the media about dangers

2. Symptoms and Effects – Understand the nature of panic experiences and that they are temporary and will pass

• Intense feelings of fear
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Difficulty breathing
• Rapid heartbeat
• Urgent need to get off the plane

3. Solutions to help you outsmart your fears -

• Educate yourself. Many airlines have programs to help people deal with fear of flying. These courses teach you all about planes, how they work, airline personnel and ground crews and how it all comes together to make you safe.
• Enroll in a course or class teaching relaxation techniques you can employ when on a plane. These can include affirmations, deep breathing techniques among others proven to deal with stress.
• High quality panic attack and general anxiety self-help programs are available which have excellent success rates with documented results. Do some research and find one that has helped others, and institute your own self help program. They can teach you effective techniques for eliminating panic attacks and anxiety in general.

Fear of flying no longer needs to stop you cold when you have the need or opportunity to travel by air. With education, understanding, relaxation techniques, and effective self help, you can leave this crippling condition behind.