My thoughts are more in order about this.  Correct me if I'm wrong in
any way.

The other week, I had a patient in my office and he was from Africa -
some 3rd world country.  He had a tooth ache, and the tooth needed to
come out.

After I removed the tooth, he thanked me and I asked him if it hurt at
all (as I was doing through the procedure).  He said, Yes, but it was
berable.  He continued, any amount of tolerable pain was worth it to
rid me of weeks to months of pain.  We don't have dentists where I'm
from, and this tooth would have continued to cause me grief.

It got me thinking.  When people tell me, "I hate the dentist" I really
take offense to that.  I spent years in school, thousands of dollars to
help people in a way I enjoy helping them.

It really makes one feel unappreciated.

Which takes me to the point, that some people here just don't know how
good they have it.

    You must be joking!
    When I was young and single, I only noticed when young attractive women
would say "Nothing personal, but..."
    I used to check my breath a lot.

Steve

Put up a small sign that says "People who hate dentists will be charged
extra". That should be the end of the problem.
Jorge Bonilla DMD

Most of the time it means "I'm scared of the dentist"

And that is because of what someone has told them, or they had a crummy,
uncaring dentist.  Then they avoid visits until there's a problem that could
have been treated comfortably if they had come in sooner.

carabelli

For the record, I'm getting a little upset every time I hear from a
patient, "I hate the dentist."

It sometimes makes me think that I've chosen the wrong profession.

Flap's Reply:

Cheer up Shad.

They don't really hate YOU.

Damn, I even hate to go to the dentist and mine is an
attractive/personable/reassuring (and very good operator, BTW) woman.

Flap

http://flapsblog.com

Make a simple adjustment, when you hear that...
raise the fee.
--

W_B
Take out the G'RBAGE
wubbabubbazG@RBAGEyahoo.com

One of the toughest things about this job is dealing with
the negativity associated with dentistry by the general
public.

Like Dan says, many times that statement is made instead of:

"I'm afraid"  "The last dentist *hurt* me"  "You are going
to be gentle, aren't you?"  "I don't tolerate dental treatment
very well"

Several ways to respond:

"I'll do my best to keep you as comfortable as possible"
"Have you had bad experiences with dental treatment in the past?"
"I haven't found a way to make dental treatment *fun*, but
I will be as gentle as possible"
"If you really *enjoyed* dental treatment, I'd have to refer you to a
psychiatrist (ha, ha)"
"Hmmmmm...I've never heard anyone say that before (ha,ha)"

Talking about it may uncover a need for some type of sedation or
other concern relating to anesthesia.  I'd rather a patient be up
front about their fears and anxieties than to hide them.  One of
the most unpleasant experiences that I've had recently was trying to
start a root canal on a lady who completely fooled me about having
any concerns regarding treatment and then just fell apart at the seams
before I got within 3 feet of the pulp!  After added anesthesia and
turning on the nitrous, I was able to finish.  If I would have known
that she was uptight and hadn't even been able to sleep the night before
treatment, I would not have entered into the appointment casually.
She had arrived smiling and bubbly.  I didn't see it coming at all.

Work on being as gentle and painless as possible while being kind and
understanding.  You will get more "thank you"s and even an occasional
hug.  That helps out weigh some of the negative stuff we have to deal
with.  Being able to forget things quickly also helps (gets easier as
you get older for some reason <G>).

JME,
Fawks

I'm glad I'm not a police officer. Or a plumber.

Though, I admit I've done plenty of plumbing work for friends.

For the record, I'm getting a little upset every time I hear from a
patient, "I hate the dentist."

It sometimes makes me think that I've chosen the wrong profession.