Ditching the Dentist is Harmful to Overall Health

A recent study out of King’s College in London confirms that dental phobia, also known as odontophobia, leads to an increased incidence of tooth decay and tooth loss. It’s estimated that roughly 30 to 40 million people avoid going to the dentist because of dental phobia. With so many people steering clear of the dentist because of this, these new findings aren’t surprising, but they’re still problematic.

The new study confirms what U.S. dentists have been saying for years: skipping the dentist is harmful to your oral health. The study “found people with dental phobia tend to experience a range of dental diseases which result from their avoidance of the dentist.”[i] But it also suggests that dodging the dentist can affect your quality of life.