I Hate The Dentist!
I HATE the dentist!
Yes you do. Who doesn’t?? Most people hate going to the dentist because it might hurt, or it is already hurting and they know they need uncomfortable work. Studies show that people who have dental phobia are as common as people who drink coffee. Look at all the Starbucks everywhere. There’s a lot of people who hate the dentist. So I get it. I understand what my job is about. Keeping that in mind is the best way to make our patients experience something special.
I HATE getting shots!
The actual experience of getting a poke with the needle accounts for 50% of people who hate the dentist. The feeling is something people worry about before the appointment the most. Dreading this part is the most common thing that keeps people away. Studies show that it may be possible to relieve this anxiety if there is high trust with the person giving the injection. It’s important to keep in mind that injections for vaccines (those mean nurses give those) are very different than dental injections because anesthetic reduces and eventually eliminates pain (see Getting Numb Our Way)
I HATE the loud noises!
The dreaded sound of the drill… 15 % of people avoid the dentist because of this reason. It affects women more than me in general. Similar to scratching the chalkboard… yes there are things called chalk boards for people under 30 that might be something they saw in a museum another similar sound is the grinding of teeth. (night guard anybody?) Anyhow, there are ways to reduce the discomfort of the noise by having less noise producing drill, headphones, or just slowing things down to make it less overwhelming.
I HATE the feeling of being numb!
Studies show that 30% of people hate the feeling of being numb more than the actual injection. The fat lip or the weird tongue that is half numb…If someone speaks a lot for a living or has a very public job it can be debilitating. Thankfully there are anti numbing agents that can be injected in the site to reverse the effect, having you feeling normal by the time you get to your car (about 10 min).
I HATE that I don’t know what the dentist is doing.
Another most common reason to hate the dentist is that you have pretty much no control over the process. It’s hard to believe what someone you just met is telling you, let alone let them do all the things that were just mentioned. And pay big money for it on top of that (more on this further down). People generally have a trusting disposition with dentist but studies show that the “believability” rating has dropped over the past 2 decades. This can be attributed to some bad apple dentists or the fact that old school dentist aren’t used to explaining themselves to more information savvy patients. With the intertubes making available all the info and videos that a curios patient may be interested in, modern dentists should embrace these facts and change with the times. Some ways that can help someone understand diagnosis is to show them pictures from inside the mouth and digital x-rays on a big screen. Pictures during the the treatment can also communicate where there is a cavity is and how it impacts the tooth. Overall trust in the dentist is the most important factor. So communication style is by far the best predictor of patient comfort. If the dentist cares (about the patient, about good outcomes, about not causing undue pain) and can communicate that well to the patient then fears of lack of control can be reduced or eliminated.
I HATE the fact that dentists are so EXPENSIVE!
Studies show that 75% of people would get the most ideal treatment dentistry has to offer if cost was not the issue. So despite all the above reasons people know that they should do the work to prevent future issues. The most prohibitive thing is the cost of dental treatment. In a capitalist society, healthcare is unfortunately built to be a for-profit venture and people have to choose between their electronic gadgets or healthy teeth. From my perspective less now means more for later. Catch it early or make a reasonable plan for the financial aspect of your oral health and you will benefit by spending less overall the long run.
I don’t want you to HATE dentist!
I don’t want you to HATE dentist. So here’s what I do to help make that possible.
Introducing The Tender Dentist Way ™
I am aware of all of the above. I myself feel particularly strongly about the control aspect and not knowing what decisions the dentist is making. The rest of the things don’t bother me as much but I have seen thousands of patients and every one of them is unique. I feel I am at my best when I communicate well so I show patients everything they want and need to see from pre-operative x rays to close up pics of the teeth. During treatment, I may stop and give you explanations accompanied by more pics.
I have an explanation of how I numb people here. So it’s possible to have an injection with absolutely no sensation (none) if it’s done softly enough and with patience.
I take my time and schedule people with private time with as little overlap as possible.
I give people the anesthetics antidote to make the numbness go away if someone hates that feeling.
I allow people to speak their mind so I can learn what their main concerns are. That way, when I give them what they want, I look like the best guy ever and people have a good experience. It’s a win-win.
Which brings me to the expense of dentistry. I have to charge for my services. My landlord and the bank do not give me freebies, and I in turn, cannot give freebies to people (although I wish I could). But I will try to make it affordable. I really try to meet my patients in the middle. We are most definitely not the priciest office on Ventura, but all the step we take to avoid the other HATES makes it more essential to get this part right. We can’t take all the time, be patient in the communications, pics and do excellent work while rushing people through and doing many procedures at a low cost. We have to find a fair price for the specialized service we provide. The Tender Dentist Way™ means each person gets timely treatment. No rushing to make an extra buck. We try to avoid all the things that people hate and do a few things that people love (like laughing, and warm lavender towels).
So in conclusion, don’t HATE. Hating is bad for your soul. Find a way to make peace with this chore of taking care of your teeth and in return, we will try to make it as fun as possible.
Sincerely,
The Tender Dentist Team
Yes you do. Who doesn’t?? Most people hate going to the dentist because it might hurt, or it is already hurting and they know they need uncomfortable work. Studies show that people who have dental phobia are as common as people who drink coffee. Look at all the Starbucks everywhere. There’s a lot of people who hate the dentist. So I get it. I understand what my job is about. Keeping that in mind is the best way to make our patients experience something special.
I HATE getting shots!
The actual experience of getting a poke with the needle accounts for 50% of people who hate the dentist. The feeling is something people worry about before the appointment the most. Dreading this part is the most common thing that keeps people away. Studies show that it may be possible to relieve this anxiety if there is high trust with the person giving the injection. It’s important to keep in mind that injections for vaccines (those mean nurses give those) are very different than dental injections because anesthetic reduces and eventually eliminates pain (see Getting Numb Our Way)
I HATE the loud noises!
The dreaded sound of the drill… 15 % of people avoid the dentist because of this reason. It affects women more than me in general. Similar to scratching the chalkboard… yes there are things called chalk boards for people under 30 that might be something they saw in a museum another similar sound is the grinding of teeth. (night guard anybody?) Anyhow, there are ways to reduce the discomfort of the noise by having less noise producing drill, headphones, or just slowing things down to make it less overwhelming.
I HATE the feeling of being numb!
Studies show that 30% of people hate the feeling of being numb more than the actual injection. The fat lip or the weird tongue that is half numb…If someone speaks a lot for a living or has a very public job it can be debilitating. Thankfully there are anti numbing agents that can be injected in the site to reverse the effect, having you feeling normal by the time you get to your car (about 10 min).
I HATE that I don’t know what the dentist is doing.
Another most common reason to hate the dentist is that you have pretty much no control over the process. It’s hard to believe what someone you just met is telling you, let alone let them do all the things that were just mentioned. And pay big money for it on top of that (more on this further down). People generally have a trusting disposition with dentist but studies show that the “believability” rating has dropped over the past 2 decades. This can be attributed to some bad apple dentists or the fact that old school dentist aren’t used to explaining themselves to more information savvy patients. With the intertubes making available all the info and videos that a curios patient may be interested in, modern dentists should embrace these facts and change with the times. Some ways that can help someone understand diagnosis is to show them pictures from inside the mouth and digital x-rays on a big screen. Pictures during the the treatment can also communicate where there is a cavity is and how it impacts the tooth. Overall trust in the dentist is the most important factor. So communication style is by far the best predictor of patient comfort. If the dentist cares (about the patient, about good outcomes, about not causing undue pain) and can communicate that well to the patient then fears of lack of control can be reduced or eliminated.
I HATE the fact that dentists are so EXPENSIVE!
Studies show that 75% of people would get the most ideal treatment dentistry has to offer if cost was not the issue. So despite all the above reasons people know that they should do the work to prevent future issues. The most prohibitive thing is the cost of dental treatment. In a capitalist society, healthcare is unfortunately built to be a for-profit venture and people have to choose between their electronic gadgets or healthy teeth. From my perspective less now means more for later. Catch it early or make a reasonable plan for the financial aspect of your oral health and you will benefit by spending less overall the long run.
I don’t want you to HATE dentist!
I don’t want you to HATE dentist. So here’s what I do to help make that possible.
Introducing The Tender Dentist Way ™
I am aware of all of the above. I myself feel particularly strongly about the control aspect and not knowing what decisions the dentist is making. The rest of the things don’t bother me as much but I have seen thousands of patients and every one of them is unique. I feel I am at my best when I communicate well so I show patients everything they want and need to see from pre-operative x rays to close up pics of the teeth. During treatment, I may stop and give you explanations accompanied by more pics.
I have an explanation of how I numb people here. So it’s possible to have an injection with absolutely no sensation (none) if it’s done softly enough and with patience.
I take my time and schedule people with private time with as little overlap as possible.
I give people the anesthetics antidote to make the numbness go away if someone hates that feeling.
I allow people to speak their mind so I can learn what their main concerns are. That way, when I give them what they want, I look like the best guy ever and people have a good experience. It’s a win-win.
Which brings me to the expense of dentistry. I have to charge for my services. My landlord and the bank do not give me freebies, and I in turn, cannot give freebies to people (although I wish I could). But I will try to make it affordable. I really try to meet my patients in the middle. We are most definitely not the priciest office on Ventura, but all the step we take to avoid the other HATES makes it more essential to get this part right. We can’t take all the time, be patient in the communications, pics and do excellent work while rushing people through and doing many procedures at a low cost. We have to find a fair price for the specialized service we provide. The Tender Dentist Way™ means each person gets timely treatment. No rushing to make an extra buck. We try to avoid all the things that people hate and do a few things that people love (like laughing, and warm lavender towels).
So in conclusion, don’t HATE. Hating is bad for your soul. Find a way to make peace with this chore of taking care of your teeth and in return, we will try to make it as fun as possible.
Sincerely,
The Tender Dentist Team