One in 10 American adults has avoided a needed dental visit due to fear, according to federal data.

Some patients panic at the thought of lying prone in the dental chair. Others dread opening the intimate territory of the mouth for inspection and judgment. The one-way conversations, the sharp instruments, the smells and sounds of the dental office can all stir so much anxiety that people delay timely care. Continue reading →

Mary Otto, a Washington, D.C.-based freelancer, is the author of "Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America."