Smile & Relax - September 2026

Streetsboro Location 9519 State Route 14 Streetsboro, OH 44241 Phone: (330) 423-6779 Elyria Location 570 Chestnut Commons Dr. Elyria, OH 44035 Phone: (440) 281-8031 Brunswick Location 3437 Center Rd Brunswick, OH 44212 Phone: (330) 460-6540 SignatureSmilesOH.com

Afraid of the Dentist? Everything You Need to Know About Dental Anxiety In this Q&A with Dr. Omar, discover: » How common is dental anxiety? » Does education help with overcoming anxiety and fear? » What is the "Anxiety Sinkhole?"

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NORTHEAST OHIO'S LEADING AUTHORITY IN SEDATION DENTISTRY

THE HIDDEN REASON MOST PEOPLE AVOID THE DENTIST (And Why It Has Almost Nothing To Do With Teeth) By the time most people call our office, they’ve already waited 7, 10, sometimes even 15 years. Not because they’re lazy or don’t care. And certainly not because they want to lose their teeth. By: Dr. Omar Salameh, DDS They wait because they’re embarrassed. Embarrassed about the condition of their mouth, how long it’s been, or that they might get lectured, judged, or shamed the moment they sit in the chair. Some patients tell us they’ve driven around the parking lot three or four times before finally walking in. Others haven’t smiled in photos for years. Some cover their mouth when they laugh. And many secretly believe: “It’s probably too late for me.” If that sounds familiar, I want you to know something important: You are not the problem. In fact, after helping thousands of fearful patients at Signature Smiles Dental, we discovered that most people who avoid the dentist are not avoiding dentistry. They are avoiding fear.

Unfortunately, most dental offices completely misunderstand this. They think anxious patients need motivation when they could really just use some understanding. That realization changed everything about how we built Signature Smiles Dental. We built what many patients now call: “The anxiety-free dental experience.” Here’s what makes it different: NO judgment about how long it’s been.

NO lectures. NO pressure. NO rushed treatment conversations.

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