I’m a Pediatric Dentist, and I Have Dental Anxiety

Many people think dentists have perfect teeth and have never had a cavity. That wasn’t true for me.

As a child, I only went to the dentist when I had a toothache. When I was about 5 or 6 years old, I had such a traumatic dental visit that I still remember it more than 30 years later. Two adults had to hold me down while the dentist gave me an injection. From that day on, going to the dentist became something I feared.

Years later, after I moved to the United States, my uncle, Dr. Chen, examined my teeth and told me I had eight cavities. I still remember him telling his assistant that he had never seen a child with so many cavities. That moment changed my life.

I made a promise to myself that I would do everything I could to prevent new cavities. Since then, I haven’t developed any new cavities. Occasionally, I’ve had to replace old resin fillings, but prevention has made all the difference.

My childhood experiences are one of the reasons I became a pediatric dentist. I know what it’s like to be scared of the dentist, and I know how powerful prevention can be.



Follow along for simple, practical tips to help keep your child’s smile healthy and cavity-free. Prevention is always easier than treatment.