Why are you so scared of me?
Every second patient that walks in, greets me with a customary “I hate dentists” and that’s my regular hello. And for those of you who don’t know me an actual hello, I’m Dr. Namrata aka The Smylist and this is the first experience I’m penning down because I was like let’s try this blog thing.
I often try and understand where that deep rooted fear of dentists stems from, it’s likely from a previous painful experience or even more likely from someone else’s painful experience. Or sometimes just the basic fear of pain.
As a dentist, I’ve come up with a 4 point plan to help ease off that fear a little:
One, regular checkups always help you prevent any invasive procedure so the chances of pain are null and void. Always always get a check up done every 6 months so any cavity or other conditions can be caught so early that there’s no procedure or a minimal procedure required.
And second, in a situation that you have to undergo any procedure, say a root canal, a skilled doctor combined with the technology today make the procedure almost painless. Whether it’s pain free anesthesia or noise cancellation if you’re scared of the drrrrrr drilling sound, we’ve got you covered.
Thirdly, communicate with your dentist. Tell them that you’re scared, why you’re so phobic and let them run through the procedure and ease you into it. It’s always easier for us as well when we have a communicative patient so we know how to help them ease the fear.
Fourth would be trust, if you don’t trust your caregiver, you’ll never be comfortable or happy with the outcome. Trust is always key when it comes to choosing your dentist, make sure that you trust two things – one that the dentist is going to give you the best treatment and has the skill set you trust. It makes our job a lot easier if you have some faith in us and helps us give you the best outcome.
So the next time you see your dentist, make sure to tell them hello, and not how much you hate them, because your dentist has “fillings” too, eh?!
