Six: Leading up to Treatment

Dental World Second Supplement

Keep the idea of the Dental World in your mind. Let’s be mindful of how we help each patient transition into our world from theirs.

We’ve already greeted them and brought them to the op. Now we have another important liminal or transitional stage to focus on: the transition from free person to a suction-muted, bibbed dependent. Let’s focus on this moment.

Seat the patient. Stay with them. Whether they’re an Olympic deadlift champion, or a nine-year-old boy, they need you as their guide. If you move out of their sight, speak to them as you do. This is just about the point of no return, so be sure not to abandon the patient here.

Sit in front of the patient, at their eye level, with your shoulders and hands down. Use an open expression, a soothing tone of voice, and comfortable, friendly body language.

Address the patient eye-to-eye and knee-to-knee, a position that simultaneously communicates professional poise and receptivity. This also helps the patient transition comfortably into the close proximity you will be working together in.

As you update their medical history, ask in different ways about their health and medications to get better answers, reinforce your interest in their health, and to take time to connect.

Ask patient about recent events in their life. Keep a soothing tone of voice going. Ask about their last trip, their kids and grandkids, work developments, hobbies and so on. Make notes. This is an opportunity to show that you see them as an individual, and that you care and are interested. They put the patient in mind of pleasant thoughts outside of the Dental World. The notes you record provide relevant conversation starters for their next visit.

Place the bib and let the patient know that you will be putting the chair down.

This is the “point of no return.”

Here the patient fully enters the Dental World. From here on out, it is 100% up to you to help them understand what is happening, what to expect next, and to sense and get feedback about their comfort level.