An estimated 85 percent of people feel anxious about dental visits. For some people, though, the fear is so debilitating that they avoid going to the dentist until the pain is so intense that it becomes absolutely necessary.
A national study by the Dental Fears Research Clinic (DFRC) at the University of Washington, found that 20 percent of Americans avoid the dentist out of fear.
The results of that avoidance can be relatively minor - the loss of a few teeth - or something far more serious - cardiovascular disease, for example, brought on by unchecked bacteria in the mouth that lead to gum disease and work their way into the blood stream.
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Like many dental phobics, Collins' fear was the result of bad experiences she had years ago - so bad, in fact, that she didn't want to go into detail about them to The Missourian.
About a year ago, though, Collins was thrown a life preserver, of sorts, by Dr. Michael Edwards, who has practiced dentistry in Union since the mid-'90s. He had invented a device that so eased her anxiety she was willing to keep her scheduled appointments for crowns, fillings and such.
Edwards' invention, the Dental Button, puts control of dental procedures in the patients' hands - literally. It is a hand-held device that enables the patient to cut power to dental equipment at the push of a button should they feel pain, sensitivity or any discomfort, or if they simply need a break.
Collins said the first time Dr. Edwards handed her the Dental Button at the start of a procedure, she pushed it early on, "just to make sure it worked." Since then, she hasn't pushed it since - her fear is alleviated just knowing she has the control.
"It really works," she remarked. "Before, I wouldn't go to the dentist unless I had a really, really bad problem. But now I have no problem or worries about coming.
"I won't go to another dentist unless they have it (the Dental Button)," said Collins, firmly.
Dr. Edwards sees many patients like Collins who have avoided the dentist for years, to the point that they are paying the price with their overall health. "My average new adult patient hasn't been to the dentist in two or three years and some for 10 or 20 years," he said.
"I'm consulting with a woman today who hasn't been to the dentist in six or seven years because of a bad experience she had as a child with a rough dentist."
Another patient only allowed dental work to be done if she could have IV sedation that rendered her unconscious. That's an expensive option that insurance typically doesn't cover, said Dr. Edwards. Hers wouldn't, so she had been paying the expense out of pocket, but she couldn't afford it anymore.
Those are the kind of patients who led Dr. Edwards to invent the Dental Button.
"When a patient has a bad experience it creates fear and starts a cycle of avoidance," he said. "The patient only goes to the dentist when there is a problem, the experience is painful and that only reinforces the fear which keeps the cycle going."
Making patients as comfortable as possible is a top priority at Optima Dental, said Dr. Edwards.
"We work with cardiologists, chiropractors . . . we take a whole body approach to patient care," he said. "We have hired a psychologist to come in and evaluate how we do things here - how the patients are greeted, how the office looks, our color choices - all to reduce anxiety."
One thing the psychologist noted to Dr. Edwards was that anxiety over coming to the dentist is about control. Sitting in the dental chair with their mouth occupied with the dentist's hands and equipment, they feel helpless to stop a situation when they want to.
Most dentists, Dr. Edwards knows, tell their patients to "raise your hand" or give a cue that you want to stop, and the dentist will. But more than one patient has told him, that doesn't always happen.
"What most people who have a fear of the dentist say is, 'I raised my hand, and he didn't stop' or 'He didn't stop in time,' " Dr. Edwards said.
From Prototype to Market
About three or four years ago, Dr. Edwards had the idea for the Dental Button. He sketched the design on a napkin, then took it to a friend and asked, "Can you build this for me?"
With a prototype for the Dental Button in hand, Dr. Edwards patented the device began offering the option of using it to his staff, when they had dental work done, and patients. He also ran three focus groups - one each on the West Coast and East Coast with dentists he knew and one in St. Louis with dentists he didn't.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, said Dr. Edwards.
"Our trials have found that the Dental Button is helping reduce patients' anxiety levels by as much as 80 percent," he remarked.
Dentists like the Button because it allows them to focus entirely on the procedure rather than worrying about whether the patient is trying to alert them to stop.
"It really improves efficiency," said Dr. Edwards. "Procedures are performed faster because we're able to focus more and we have less cancellations and no shows because people have less anxiety about the dentist."
If the patient pushes the Dental Button to stop the procedure, a flip of a switch is all that's needed to start the equipment going again.
Articles about the Dental Button have appeared in recent issues of trade publications, including Dental Products Report which featured the Dental Button on the cover. And dental schools are getting ready to conduct their own studies on the benefits of the device.
"They'll ask patients all the same questions we did - what is your anxiety level before using the Dental Button, after using it, would you want to use it again, would you recommend it to a friend . . ., " said Dr. Edwards.
"They'll find what we did - 90 percent of people who use the Dental Button once want to use it again on their next visit."
Psychology Supports the Concept
In his research trials for the Dental Button, Dr. Edwards said he noticed that although patients who held the device during procedures reported feeling less anxiety about their dental visit, very few if any ever opted to push the button. He found it curious, but psychology experts do not.
"It's basic psychology," said Wendy Pecka, a licensed professional counselor and psychology instructor at East Central College in Union.
"There has been a lot of research in cognitive psychology on fear and the perception of fear, especially in the post 9-11 world," she said. "What they have found is that when people feel in control, they feel less fear."
That is the logic behind the reason why many people are more afraid to fly on an airplane rather than drive in a car, even though there are far more fatalities from car accidents than airplane accidents, said Pecka.
"People will tell you the reason why they aren't afraid to drive their car is, 'I feel I'm in control.' "
Numerous studies over the last three decades prove that giving power to the patient reduces their anxiety and pain as well as treatment and recovery times. Simply put, less anxiety means less perceived pain.
Selling Around the World
The Dental Button, which is manufactured in the United States, is just being released to the U.S. market. Already Dr. Edwards and his business partner in M2 Partnership, Martin Brading, have sold around 50 units to dental offices in the United Kingdom, and they are currently working with a dealer in Australia. The cost is under $2,000 for one or under $1,000 for orders of three or more.
That makes it one of the most affordable pieces of equipment in modern dental offices, said Dr. Edwards. By way of comparison, he noted that digital X-ray sensors run about $7,000 each and have to be replaced regularly.
Patients would not need to be charged extra for use of the Dental Button, Dr. Edwards noted.
The various components for the Dental Button are manufactured in Chicago, Utah and Connecticut, and the device is assembled in Bridgeton, Mo.
Installation of the Dental Button is simple and takes less than five minutes, said Dr. Edwards.
"I think within the next several years, the Dental Button will be standard in most dental offices," he said, confidently.
Information also is available at www.thedentalbutton.com. For a demonstration of the Dental Button system, people can call Carol Scheer at 800-418-3310.
