Real-Life Communication -- Solution
This is what we came up with:
Mrs. Smith,
I understand that you are frightened. You have heard other people telling
very scary stories about root canals.
These days, most people are comfortable
during the procedure. We will use a local anesthetic. When teeth are severely
abscessed, the anesthetic doesn't work well. Dr. Jones says that we are catching
your tooth early enough that the anesthetic should work well.
If we
don't do the procedure now, your tooth will get worse. The infection could
spread and then it would be much harder to treat.
This is what we
will do. When you come in tomorrow, Dr. Jones is going to drill into the tooth
and clean the infection out of the root canals. Your tooth has four canals
that run from the middle of the tooth out to the root.
After the doctor
has cleaned the canals, the tooth needs to drain for a week. We will give
you a prescription for an antibiotic to clear up the infection. I will show
you how to rinse your mouth with hot, salty water to keep the tooth clean
for that week.
After a root canal, your tooth needs a crown to protect
it. In a week, the doctor will fill the canals and put on a temporary crown.
You need the temporary crown while the dental lab is making your permanent
crown. When it is ready, we will call you to come back again. Then we will
remove the temporary crown and put on the permanent one.
I have learned
that your dental plan covers 80 percent of the costs of the root canal and
50 percent of the crown. I will get an estimate the amount you will pay.
Do
you have any questions?
"Dental assistants need good communication
skills and background knowledge," says Lois Parento. She's the president of
a dental association. "If they don't have the background knowledge, they might
not be able to give the patient the correct information."