Real-Life Communication
Few things leave a person feeling more vulnerable than being tilted
backwards in a dentist chair with a dental dam clamped over one's mouth. The
patient can't move or talk and feels totally at the dentist's mercy. That's
why it's so important for dentists to tell patients what they are doing.
"It
gives the patient a sense of control," says dentist Sasha Prior. "It definitely
makes them feel more comfortable."
Of course, the whole purpose of
explaining things will be lost if the dentist speaks in "dentalese," and the
patient doesn't understand the jargon. If they don't know what you're talking
about, you'll just increase their anxiety. This is especially true for patients
who are children. So, many dentists make up dental jargon that kids can relate
to.
You're a dentist with a small family practice. Today, you're filling
a cavity for six-year-old Susie, who looks terrified and jumpy in the dentist
chair. You decide she may feel more comfortable if she understands what's
going to happen and why. So you explain:
"Well Susie, you have a cavity
and that means you're not brushing properly, or you're eating too many sweets.
It's very important to brush carefully or you can develop calculus or even
periodontitis.
"Now, first thing we're going to do is go over to the
radiograph machine and make sure all your teeth are growing in properly. After
that, I'm going to freeze your mouth and fill the cavity. I'm going to use
the high-speed boring tool on your infected tooth, intermittently inserting
the saliva ejector in your mouth. Once the drilling process is complete, I'll
pack your tooth with a composite to fill the cavity."
"Aaaaaaah!" screams
little Susie, promptly bursting into tears.
Oops. Maybe there's a better
way to explain things to this little girl. Rephrase your explanation in a
way that won't sound so scary to a six-year-old. Use your imagination to come
up with fun, friendly names for the tools and procedures.
Definitions
- Saliva ejector (suction device)
- High-speed boring tool (drill)
- Radiograph (X-ray)
- Composite (filling material)
- Periodontitis (gum infections)
- Calculus (tartar)