Dentalcompare
Clinical Director
Physorg.com has reported on a group of researchers from the University of Essex that have determined that people who have a negative bias toward something tend to be more susceptible toward stress. Basically, if you are a glass-is-half-empty kind of a person, you are more likely to be anxious about things.
Being a dentist, this isn’t exactly a shocker. I still have new patients that come in expecting the process to be downright miserable. They expect that they are to be treated poorly, that they will be in pain the entire time, and that they will never be right again after the appointment. Of course, it’s no wonder that this creates significant stress about the appointment. One time, I even had a new patient who was so completely nervous about the appointment, she would not go past the waiting room before she simply met me for the first time.
It is so nice then to create a new and different experience for these patients in my office. Newer local anesthetics work better than ever, eliminating pain from the appointment. We use electric handpieces which are quieter and transfer less vibration to the tooth. Our digital x-ray sensor is more comfortable than film, and it works with over 80% less radiation to the patient. New bonding systems make the filling not only last longer, but help to seal the tooth for less sensitivity following the procedure.
Plus, it turns out that if you stop and listen to someone, and pay attention to what their needs are, they can have quite a different experience. But…all offices are not created equal. Many people think that they will have the same experience everywhere. I believe that a patient-focused practice that uses that utilizes the latest clinical concepts and technology will always trump that negative bias, and the anxiety that follows. I don’t think we need a research grant to figure that out.