Dental/dental hygiene trainees discuss patient education, treatment costs, and time. (2023)
What I feel is [the] problem is, sometimes, that when you have, in your pediatrics clinics, if you see a child and they’re in that sensitive age of mixed dentition. And for example, if they don’t have a [. . .], I mean, if they don’t get a pulpectomy, like this pulp therapy, they’re going to lose the tooth, and they’re going to go into space problems, and they might need ortho.
So you’re really having an effect. The child is going to realize it at 23, maybe 25. Everyone else will have better teeth just from these simple things. I feel like I struggle sometimes to have the parents understand that it’s important. Because sometimes in my previous clinics where it’s for free, really. For kids it’s for free, even the X-rays. All they have to do is come. And sometimes they would help even pay for it, the commuting, and they still won’t come, even if it’s on a weekend. So even when you try to help them understand why this is important, sometimes they just don’t think it’s worth the time as well.