It is no surprise at all that there are very many nervous dental patients in London, so nervous in fact that they simply don't go to the dentist for a check-up when they should. That is every six months.

For very many years, going to see the dentist was associated with pain, and pain is something that everyone wants to avoid. That makes total sense. However, over the last 50 years or so dentistry has changed radically. Less than 100 years ago, before we had the NHS, many people couldn't afford to go to the dentist and would only do so as a last resort because even when they did, they couldn't afford to pay for anaesthetics, and so had to have a tooth out without any. It really doesn't bear thinking about.

However, that was the way things were in those days, and thank heaven we have come on a long way since then. Nonetheless, going to the dentist has been associated with pain for a very long time, and it is for that reason that millions of people still do not go to the dentist for what is, after all, only a check-up to see that everything is OK, just in case everything is not OK!

The simple facts of the matter are that if you have a regular check-up at the dentist everything will be OK because any problems can be dealt with before they become serious.

Would you run your car with tyres that are bald? No, of course you wouldn't because apart from the danger to others there is the danger to yourself of skidding on a wet or icy road and hitting a tree which could result in serious injury or even be fatal. So when you can see that your tyres are wearing down, you simply go to somewhere like KwikFit and have them replaced. (That's not an advert for KwikFit, but you know what we mean). The point is that you take care that you don't get into serious trouble.

However, when it comes to dental health, people have a tendency to steer clear because the word "dentist" is still associated with "pain". This is despite the fact that if you DON'T go to the dentist for a regular check-up you could be in a lot more pain than if you do! It is also despite the fact that if you have a regular check-up the dentist will spot any problems long before they become serious and be able to deal with them. Even if it gets to the point where you need a tooth removed, it is a really simple procedure and the dentist will use an anaesthetic so that you really don't feel any pain whatsoever. It takes about ten minutes.

Certainly, you might have a bit of an ache when the anaesthetic wears off, but that will only last for a very few days, and you can take some ibuprofen or something similar if it bothers you. In any case, it is only a bit of an ache, not like being stabbed with a knife or shot! And in a few days, you are as right as rain.

This is why nervous dental patients in London should have a regular check-up anyway. There is a lot more to be nervous about if you leave things as they are and you have gum disease which will accelerate the rate of tooth loss, and can lead to all sorts of other diseases, such as diabetes and even heart attack.

This is something else that many people don't understand. Your mouth is full of all sorts of bacteria and this is why you need to clean and floss your teeth on a daily basis. If you don't, those bacteria will get into your bloodstream and can cause considerably more damage than just losing teeth.

Visiting the dentist for a regular check-up should be as routine as going to church, if you are religious, taking the dog for a walk, or just having a shower. You probably don't go to church more than once a week, and you take the dog for a walk every day. You only have to see the dentist every six months.