We often think of our heroes as invincible, and your Woodlands dentists are no different. We thought it was interesting to stumble across this article detailing how Olympic gold medalist, Usain Bolt, was secretly afraid to see a dentist and fix dental issues stemming from poor dental care early in life.
Some Dental Fear is Rooted in Our Childhood Experiences
At our Woodlands dental office locations, we understand the importance of young children having a positive, early exposure to dental care that sets them up for success. However, not everyone has access to comprehensive, safe dentistry like what we provide. Unfortunately, Bolt learned firsthand about the harsh realities of dentistry in Jamaica as a child.
In the article, Bolt says this about his first trip to see the dentist, “It wasn’t a good experience as a kid to get your teeth pulled because we did not have all the necessary numbing agents to help, and it was a lot more painful than it should’ve been as a kid.” A native of Trelawney, Jamaica, Bolt’s poor pediatric dental care led to having damaged teeth at age ten and general anxiety about completing dental work in the future.
Your Woodlands dentist can tell you this is more common than you think.
Facing Your Dental Anxiety Fears
After Bolt catapulted to become an international athletic star, he traveled to Germany to get his teeth fixed. The important thing to note here is not that he traveled to Europe for his dental care; it’s that he says because they had state-of-the-art “equipment and how it was done quickly and done well was just amazing.” He found someone he could trust with dentistry’s most advanced technology to treat his teeth — much like what you and your family will find at all of The Woodlands Dental Group locations.
The article also says that Bolt isn’t the only professional athlete to have dental anxiety. The American Association of Orthodontists published a study that found that 49 percent of athletes had early gum inflammation, damage, and decay symptoms.
Making a Dental Difference
In some uplifting news, Bolt is now working on bringing more expansive access to dental care worldwide, starting in Jamaica. He partnered with SprintRay — a 3-D dental printing company committed to providing underserved populations access to the highest quality dental care available.
Are you ready to overcome your dental fear? Do you want your little one to have access to dentistry at a young age that allows them to love going to the dentist and taking care of their oral health? Talk to one of our Woodlands dentists about your options when you schedule a consultation with us today. Simply choose The Woodlands Dental Group location that’s closest to you and make the call!
Dr. Robert Dernick (General, Cosmetic, Implant Dentistry, and TMJ)
Dr. Mike Freeman (General, Cosmetic, Implant, Sleep Apnea, and TMJ)
Dr. Alisa Reed (General, Cosmetic, Implant, Laser, Sleep Apnea, and TMJ)
Dr. Wade Williams (Orthodontics)
Dr. Nikita Vakil (General, Cosmetic, Implant Dentistry)
Dr. Leslie Blackburn (Pediatric Dentistry)
*Photo courtesy of Getty Images.