Why Do People Hate The Dentist So Dang Much?

March 18th, 2021 was a big day for Zack Snyder.

He’d blown through $400 million, and Warner Bros. Studios were finally going to release the biggest film of his career.

But when asked about his plans for that momentous day, Snyder responded, “I have to go to the dentist on the 18th. That’s how my day’s going to be.”

Why Do People Hate The Dentist So Dang Much?

So, why is it that a simple appointment with the dentist weighs so heavily on our minds? Why is it that our poor dentists lurk in our collective imagination as masked villains wielding a drill in each hand, rather than the huggable heroes they truly are?

I have a few theories.

The first is a little thing called negativity bias. It’s proven that our brains fixate far more on negative experiences and memories than on positive ones. You may have pleasant, delightful appointments 9 out of 10 times, but if that 10th visit involves getting up close and personal with the business end of a drill, that’s the one you’re going to remember.

The second is there’s just way too much cavity shame going around. We’ve all had it drilled into our skulls that cavities are a problem that only afflict bad brushers and lazy flossers, and nobody wants to be lumped in that category.

Here’s some numbers that might shock you. According to the Center for Disease Control, 91% of Americans over the age of 20 have had at least one cavity, and 27% of adults have at least one untreated cavity. Clearly this is a problem that impacts nearly all of us, but you wouldn’t expect that from the way cavities are routinely concealed.

My third theory is perhaps the simplest of all. A big research study determined that, on average, a single cavity costs the patient about $2000 over their lifetime.

So, uh, that might be part of it.

The work dentists do is vital to keeping our chompers chomping throughout our lives, and the vast majority of dentists work hard to ensure the best possible outcomes for their patients.

Whether it’s because of fear, shame, or financial worries, it’s easy to see why a trip to the dentist creates so much stress and worry through no fault of theirs. But it’s time to flip the script.

Understanding The True Cause of Cavities

The first big step towards resolving your dental fears is understanding the true cause of cavities. After all, you can’t prevent something if you don’t know how it starts.

Cavities are caused by tooth-dissolving acid. This acid dissolves the calcium & phosphate bonds of your tooth enamel. If enough of this damage stacks up, you’ll find yourself in a tough talk with your dentist and, ultimately, a date with the dental drill.

Your body does have a natural ability to combat the influence of acid, which is mostly accomplished by your saliva. Saliva delivers minerals to your teeth to help them rebuild. So when your teeth manage to repair themselves faster than the acid can break them down, you find yourself skipping out of the dentist office with a big grin.

What’s more, understanding the true cause of cavities means eliminating all that cavity shame. It’s not your fault nobody taught you how to address acid. And no matter how well you brush, you still need a tool to deal with acid attacks in the most critical moments.

Fortunately, we’ve designed Epic Gum & Mints to do exactly that.

How Epic Helps Your Smile

Cavity-causing acid comes from two primary sources.

The first is from acid-producing bacteria that live in your mouth. These icky oral invaders chow down on little particles of food and churn out acid, which then sits on your teeth all day. Yuck.

That’s why getting rid of these bacteria is key. Epic Gum & Mints are sweetened exclusively with xylitol, an all-natural sweetener that’s proven to target and remove the exact strain of bacteria that’s responsible for all that acid. It’s like tearing down all the acid factories in your mouth and replacing them with beautiful, pristine parks.

The second source of tooth-dissolving acid is our daily encounters with acidic food and drink.

Daily exposure to acidic foods & drinks is pretty much unavoidable. Most foods that we eat have some sort of acidic ingredients, and unless you plan on eating nothing but bread and water for the rest of your days you’re going to have a run-in with acid.

This is where your body’s anti-cavity superhero, saliva, gets involved. Not only is saliva involved in the rebuilding process, it’s also great at neutralizing acid. Unfortunately, saliva has a tendency to sleep in: it can take up to 30 minutes after a food exposure for saliva to neutralize acid, all the while leaving it to deal damage to your teeth.

Epic Gum & Mints act as an alarm clock for your saliva, dragging him out of bed and pushing him out the door to work, neutralizing acid in just minutes.

The solution is simple. We recommend that you chew two pieces of Epic Gum (or have 4 Epic Mints) after each meal. That’s all you need to get your dentist-recommended daily dose of xylitol, for a healthier, happier, slippery-smoothier smile.