Dental/dental hygiene trainee discusses patient fears (2023)
So, I’ve had a patient that came in, and he said that in the past when he had to get a tooth extracted… There was a dentist back in the ’60s who put his knee on his chest and was taking out a tooth. And so, he was very traumatized from that experience. So, it took me usually what I would do in two appointments, probably four or five appointments. Just because I wanted to talk to him, tell him the importance of his dental health, and what impact it has on his life.
And so even though it took me five appointments, double the amount of time in the beginning, I think I built that trust with him. He’s always on time, he’s always coming to his appointments. So, I think in those cases where people have had poor experiences that he shied away from the dentist for 20 years. And now he’s coming religiously. So, I think those are the most important things. Educating your patients and telling them how important this is to their life is very important.