Conquer Your Dental Fear: Peeking at a Dentist’s Toolkit

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Are you one who trembles at the sight of a dentist’s tray in a Makati dental clinic? Does seeing or feeling unknown instruments penetrating your mouth give you an irrational discomfort? We understand your fear, and there’s really nothing to be ashamed of.

Fear of the unknown often causes us anxiety beyond our control, including your phobia of dentists. One way to overcome such fear is by gaining knowledge of what these instruments are and what they do, which we will be discussing below.

• Mouth mirrors – is a small, round, angled mirror at the end of a metal stick used to see hidden areas of the tooth such as the back part. It is also used to retract the cheeks and tongue as well as reflect light to increase visibility.

• Dental explorer – aka sickle probe or scaler, is a thin, angled hook at the end of a metal stick used to examine the tooth’s surface. This instrument tests the tooth’s hardness and determines the amount of plaque, tartar, and enamel present on your chompers.

• Periodontal probe – is similar to the explorer but is blunt. It’s meant to measure the depth of the gum pockets to look for signs of gum diseases.

• Dental drill – perhaps the most fearsome tool in a Makati dental clinic, this rotary instrument is actually used in different ways such as removing tooth decay, smoothing teeth, and filling cavities.

• Dental extractors – are tools used to move lips, tongue, and cheeks out of the way to fully expose the teeth during dental procedures.

• Excavators – is a metal stick with tiny spoon shaped end used to remove decayed part of the tooth. It is also used to remove temporary fillings and softened dentine.

Learning the basic dental instruments found in your dentist toolkit should help ease your fear of the unknown. The next time you visit your dental clinic in Makati, take a good look at these helpful tools and start getting familiar with them. The more you know, the less anxious you’ll be during your dental visits.