One of the most common fears people have is a fear of going to the dentist. This fear can become problematic if it causes somebody to avoid going to the dentist for their regular checkups and cleanings. In order to maintain white teeth and an overall healthy mouth, it is imperative that you visit the dentist at least twice a year. Going to the dentist is very important in order to prevent common oral health problems that may arise.

The best way to maintain your oral health is by getting regular maintenance work by your local dentist. Such regular maintenance work can help to prevent common problems like gum disease or tooth decay. In situations where it does not prevent a problem, it will at the very least allow your dentist to catch and your problems before they become much larger, more painful, and more expensive. One of the problems with allowing your fear to cause you to avoid going to the dentist is that when you do finally go, and they do find problems with your teeth, it will require a lot more repair work to be done.

If you suffer from dental anxiety, you should discuss sedation options with your local dentist. Your dentist may give you a sedative before performing any procedures. These sedatives will calm you down while allowing to stay awake and answer any questions your dentists may have.

Most individuals who suffer from dental anxiety results from a bad experience they had at the dentist during their youth. This bad experiences causes them to harbor negative feelings whenever they are at a dental office. Unfortunately, simply going to a different dentist is often not enough as most peoples anxiety transfers to all dentist.

Those who suffer from dental anxiety should perform should be sure to perform thorough research on several local dentist in your area. You should start by asking any family and friends who they go to and recommend. Next, you should research several dentist and schedule a few consultations. Be sure to take advantage of websites like Yelp or Healthgrades to check out some reveiews from past and current patients. You should schedule some consultations with local dentist and discuss your fears and anxiety with them. Doing thorough and comprehensive research will help to put some of your fears at ease.

When you are looking for a dentist, I would recommend finding a dental office that has a lot of customers. While this may seem backwards to some, due to the longer wait times that will result, a dentist with a lot of patients is one that is doing a good job. I remember the first time I went to my dentists, VanderLugt & Mulder Dental, and they had a waiting room full of patients. I knew right then that I had made the right choice. A healthy business means you will receive quality work.

Remember, you will be going to whichever dentist you decide upon at least twice a year. It is vitally important that you trust and feel at ease with your dentist. 

We have all been going to dentist twice yearly since our childhoods. After all those years, all those visits, you may find that you still are not very familiar with exactly what it is that your dentist does. Is there a difference between a family dentist and a pediatric dentist? What is cosmetic dentistry? It is very easy and natural to simply assume that all of the different jobs a dentists can perform, can simply be done by any dentist. But the truth is that dentist, just like surgeons, do have some specialities and qualifications. Cosmetic dentistry involves more than just your typical trip the your local dental office, it actually encompasses much more.

Cosmetic Dentistry

So if cosmetic dentistry is different than your normal trip to the dentists office, what exactly is it? According to the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, cosmetic dentistry refers to any dental work that is aimed at creating a positive change to your teeth and smile. Esentially, cosmetic dentistry is dental work that makes your smile whiter and brighter. It is dental work that focuses on making you look good, rather than dental work that is necessary for the health of your mouth, teeth, and gums.

There are many procedures, some you’ve undoubtedly heard of, and some you haven’t, that fall under the umbrella of cosmetic dentistry. The following dental procedures are all classified as cosmetic dental work: Bleaching, bonding, crowns, veneers, and contouring and reshaping. Perhaps you have had professional bleaching performed to whiten your teeth, that would be a cosmetic dentistry procedure.

Now that you know all about cosmetic dentistry, you may be wondering what other types or fields of dental work exists. Some examples would be pediatric dentist, endodontist, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, orthodontist, periodontist, and prosthodontist.

Do you know what type of dentist you go to? My dentist, VanderLugt & Mulder Dental, are trained in most of the differing dental fields. You van visit their website here: http://grandrapidsmidental.com 

This is a brief timeline of the LGBT movement as it has progressed throughout the later half of the 21st century.

2010

March 3, Congress finally approves law to legalize gay marriage in the district of Columbia.

August 4, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker rules that Proposition 8 is constitutionally unsound.

December 18, President Obama officially repeals “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. 

2011

June 24: New York becomes the largest state to officially allow gay marriage.

2012

February 13, Washington state becomes the 7th state in the United States to legalize gay marriage.

May 9, Days after Joe Biden came out in support of gay marriage, president Obama officially endorsed it in a broadcast to the nation.

2013

Feb. 27, More than 1,000 Republicans back a motion to make same-sex marriage a constitutional right.

March 26, The Supreme Court begins two days of debate discussing overturning Proposition 8, as well as same-sex marriage in general.

April 29, Jason Collins of the NBA’s Washington Wizards becomes the first player in all of the United States major sports to openly announce that he is gay. 

May 2, Rhode Island legalizes same-sex marriage.

June 26, In a 5 to 4 vote, the Supreme Court rules the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional and violates the rights of the LGBT community. It also rules that the law gets in the way of a singular states right to define marriage.

Aug. 1, Rhode Island and Minnesota begin issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples. 

Oct. 21, New Jersey Supreme Court votes unanimously to overturn Chris Christies appeal to prolong same sex marriage date.

Nov. 12, Rise in gay ad network as well as campaigns aimed at LGBT community specifically. Companies begin to take notice of the community value.

2014

Jan. 6, The Supreme Court blocks all further marriage licenses in Utah, which causes chaos amongst the couple thousand of couples who were set to receive one.

Jan. 10, Obama states that the government will officially recognize the marriages pending in Utah as legal and binding, despite the Utah Supreme Court blocking the motion on the state level. 

May 19, Same sex marriage becomes legal in Oregon after a judge ruled that the laws banning same-sex marriage violated the United State Constitution Equal Protection Clause. 

May 20, Pennsylvania begins to allow gay marriage, as a judge rules that the law banning it goes against the constitution. Until now, Pennsylvania did not recognize Civil Unions, or domestic partnerships. 

Oct. 6, Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin attempt to appeal rulings allowing same sex marriage with the supreme court. The Court declines to hear the appeals.

2015

June 26, Obergefell v. Hodges becomes a landmark case in which the Supreme Court rules (with a 5-4 vote) that the fundamental right to marry is protected by both the Due Process Clause, and the Equal Protection Clause in the United States Constitution.

July 27,The Boy Scouts of America end a decades old ban on openly gay adult leaders. Although the new policy allowed church sponsored groups to still ban gay adults for religious purposes, the new amendment in the rule marks a great step forward in the right direction for the LGBT community.