Are you one of those people who realizes you are due for a dental check-up and starts thinking of all the ways you can get out of it? If you are, it is nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of people dislike going to the dentist – and some are even afraid of it.

Have you ever wondered why some people dislike going to the dentist so much? Here are some of the more common reasons.

1. They Know They've Been Bad

For some people, going to the dentist is just embarrassing because you know you haven't followed a good hygiene routine and your dentist will be able to tell as soon as he or she looks in your mouth. It may even feel like you are going back to school and being judged for not doing your homework.

There is no reason for you to feel like the naughty school kid who didn't do his or her homework. Your dentist just wants to help you and he or she can't do that if you don't go to your check-up. Regardless of how bad your teeth are or how many teeth brushing sessions you missed between now and your last dental visit, your dentist isn't going to judge you or be mean to you.

2. The Pain During Treatments

Even if you have been good with your oral hygiene, you may not have stopped all the problems. Staining can still happen and treatments may still be needed. Some of the treatments are painful, especially those that don't involve a local anaesthetic. People don't want to go through with the pain, and will wait until their own tooth problems cause them more pain than the dentist would.

The first thing you can do is care for your teeth, but that doesn't help when you have a problem that needs fixing. You could take a painkiller before you visit when you know you will need treatment, pre-empting the pain.

3. Fear of the Needle

Some treatments will involve the needle to numb the area, and this can scare some people. They worry that things will go wrong or fear the amount of pain they feel while the anaesthetic is put in place. Someone may have had a bad experience with one dentist, and it damages the relationship with others in the future.

This will take a little more work to overcome. You need to get over the fear of needles, and talk to your dentist about that fear. The best dentist will be able to prevent you seeing the needle and keep your mind off it as much as possible.

The next time you have a dental visit reminder, book the appointment as soon as possible. This isn't going away. You may hate the visit, but it's better to get through with it as soon as possible to enjoy the six months until your next check-up.