<h3>By Dr. Stephen Durham</h3>
There’s a piece of our own attitude that takes as active a part as any physical factor in whether our dental health is good or poor: It’s the tendency some people have to put off seeing their dentist.

Dental health doesn’t get better by itself, and generally speaking it doesn’t even stay the same without regular professional attention.

One reason people postpone dental exams is simply the demands of our daily lives. But the reason people postpone treatment most often has to do with fear. If this is how you feel about “a trip to the dentist,” you are not alone.

We call this factor “hesitance,” and it’s what causes many dental conditions to get worse, as surely as if it were plaque, bacteria or poor jaw alignment.

So we resolved to treat hesitance with as much care and consideration as we would bring to any symptom.

<b>Confidence begins with choice</b>

Careful consultation is the start of approaching dental care with confidence. Giving our patients a clear picture of their condition and then offering them realistic choices, we sit face-to-face and map our course together.

When the patient has this much to do with the steps that are being taken, we find that concerns begin to subside.

<b>Spectrum of comfort</b>

Another important reassurance is the variety of ways patients can choose for relieving anxiety, discomfort and preventing pain.

From local anesthetics to sedation dentistry, the techniques are available that can make treatment a process you can trust, without the dread that might have grown from old-fashioned approaches.

<b>Home-baked bravery</b>

When it comes to providing an atmosphere of comfort and confidence, everything counts.

So the smell of home-baked cookies, the sound and feel of our office, the pleasant greetings and genuine interest you feel – it all adds up.

Helping people reach the right state of mind for healthy dentistry involves courtesy and consideration as well as professional know-how. We make sure patients find that atmosphere in abundance.

<em>Dr. Stephen Durham, DMD, MAGD, practices at Durham Dental at Town Center in Beaufort. For more information, 843-379-5400.</em>