Don’t Be Anxious, Idaho is 3rd for Dental Health in the Nation

I was a year into my marriage when I found out my husband had serious dental anxiety. How had this never come up in conversation while we were dating or engaged? I went in for my regular cleaning and realized he hadn’t seen a dentist for at least that year. After bringing it up, I found out he hadn’t been to a dentist in 10 years.

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Growing up, he had never seen a dentist. He didn’t need braces and had never had any tooth pain. His family didn’t have dental insurance, so if it wasn’t necessary, it didn’t happen. It wasn’t until he joined the military that he saw a dentist for the first time. After his discharge, he never bothered getting a private dentist. He struggled with dental anxiety and didn’t feel the need to go.

He resisted seeing a dentist until the office where our 5-year-old was being seen began to take adult patients. I had to attend all his visits with him and sit at his feet. The dentist had to take his blood pressure before procedures to make sure that he was calm enough to even clean his teeth. After tackling periodontal disease and getting wisdom teeth out, we moved to Idaho.

What to Talk About When Getting a New Dentist

When looking for a new dentist, I discussed my husband’s anxiety, not just his dental history and insurance. The office paired him with the perfect hygienist. What a difference the right dental hygienist made! After a couple of years of her help, he was able to attend dental visits without me or a blood pressure cuff. It was a relief not to have to take days off for our children, my, and his visits as well.

What States Have the Best or Worst Dental Health?

It’s not a surprise to me that Idaho ranks so high in a recent dental health study. Moving here has enabled him to keep his teeth and gums healthier than they ever have been before. The Gem State must have parents who are on the ball because Idaho ranks 2nd for regular dental visits in adolescents and only about 10% of students in high school drink soda at least once per day.

Which teeth do you need to brush? The ones you want to keep.