False Emergency
On the verge of tears, pacing the floor in writhing pain, Tammy could
not postpone making a decision any longer. She was feeling desperate,
acting irrational, but knew she had to make the pain stop. The toothache
that Tammy Jones was experiencing escalated to an unbearable level
and was throbbing so badly she could feel her heartbeat in the tooth.
I shouldn’t have waited this long to get something done, she
thought.
She felt very despondent about picking up the phone to call yet another
dentist regarding her bad teeth. As she dialed the phone number to the
dentist, she felt a familiar confinement from anxiety overwhelm her.
The phone rang and she pondered, why am I so apprehensive about going
to the dentist?
Tammy possesses a classic example of dental phobia, an ailment clearly
shared by many Cherokee County residents. Dental phobia can manifest
from a mild deterrent to a paralyzing fear of seeking dental care.
It is related to many causes ranging from psychological issues to physical
issues such as macroglossia, an enlarged tongue that partially blocks
the airway and gives the patient a sense of choking.
It has been reliably reported that 50% of the American population does
not seek regular dental care. An estimated 9-15% of all Americans fully
avoid dental care altogether. This translates to some 30 - 40 million
people nationwide including 20,000 people in Cherokee County, that
are so afraid of dental care that they avoid it altogether.
In terms of your dental health and overall wellness, this can have
serious implications. In addition to chronically infected gums and teeth
with
abscesses, which can affect your overall medical health, your ability
to chew and digest can be seriously compromised. Without healthy gums
and teeth, your speech can be affected as well. Your confidence and
self-esteem can be compromised if you are insecure about your breath
and smile. This
can ultimately lead to serious limitations in both your social and
business environments.
After delaying treatment for four years, Tammy’s visit to a dentist
one month ago left her bewildered and distraught. She reflected how direct
the dentist was about “having those bad teeth extracted on the
lower left”, and how little explanation he had offered as to why.
The dentist referred her to an oral surgeon for the extractions and put
forth no effort to reappoint her for follow-up care. She had not formed
a good relationship with that dentist or the office staff, and was not
confident about their advice. Despite her desire to be free of her pain-ridden
teeth, she did not feel strongly compelled about having her teeth extracted.
Tammy read various articles regarding dental restorative treatment and
implants written by Dr. Scott R. Harden, a restorative and cosmetic dentist
located in the Woodstock area. I want to have options, she thought.
“Fountain View Family Dentistry, this is Leanne, how may I help
you?” Tammy was nearly speechless as she held the phone to her
ear. She responded after an awkwardly long pause, “I have a very
bad toothache and would like to make an appointment”. As Tammy
drove into the parking lot, she contemplated not keeping her appointment.
Embarrassed about the terrible condition of her teeth and gums, and worried
about the financial expense of treatment, her apprehension grew exponentially
as she approached the door to the dental office.
The initial visit at Fountain View Family Dentistry, proved to be an
entirely different experience from her previous visit one month ago.
Tammy felt very at ease and more comfortable than she has ever felt in
the dental chair. The front office staff provided her a warm welcome
and created a very positive dental experience, long awaited by Tammy.
The practice manager further discussed the expenses of dental care at
the end of her visit and made treatment affordable to her. “I feel
so comfortable in your office”, she exclaimed to our practice manager
before leaving.
The doctor provided Tammy with several treatment options, and discussed
them while images of her teeth were projected onto the overhead monitor
utilizing an intra-oral camera. Tammy told an assistant, “the camera
allowed me to easily understand my diagnosis and treatment plan.” Option
one included extracting three teeth in the lower left and replacing them
with a removable partial denture, an option unappealing to her. Another
option included extracting the same teeth and placing implants to restore
her missing teeth. Option three was the most attractive to Tammy; it
was very unique and customized for her specific needs. This option included
extracting two teeth that were hopeless, performing a root canal in one
salvageable root of a molar while extracting the other bad root of the
same tooth, a procedure referred to as a “hemi-section”.
This allowed her to acquire a fixed bridge spanning from the retained
root forward to a healthy tooth, which would be permanently attached.
The doctor further explained this treatment plan to Tammy utilizing
a patient communication tool he calls the “BBOT or building blocks
of treatment”. Stages of treatment are simply broken down to basic
steps or building blocks and allow the patient to attain a clear understanding
of their overall treatment.
At Tammy’s visit to begin treatment, she felt one last imminent
desire to abandon her treatment procedure. Knowing that immediate treatment
for pain relief was necessary and that Tammy’s concerns were psychologically
founded, Dr. Harden added his tender touch and gentle words to help calm
Tammy’s mental anguish.
“Tammy, you have been a false emergency long enough in your life,
and its time to take positive steps to fix your teeth”, the doctor
stated to Tammy as she squirmed nervously in the dental chair. “What
is a false emergency”, she inquired? “A false emergency”,
he explained, “is a patient that has had a significant problem
existing for a long time, often years, and decides by some measure that
today is the day they must be seen. In order help Tammy refocus her attention, the dental assistant provided
her with headphones to play either a CD or DVD movie from their library.
These added touches along with the Comfort Control Anesthesia device,
a computer controlled device that allows anesthesia to be delivered
without any discomfort, helped Tammy move forward with her dental care. “The
entire procedure was painless despite a root canal and extractions,
and I did not even feel any discomfort the following day”. Tammy
achieved a major milestone, and is well on her way to achieving complete
dental health … a dream come true. Congratulations Tammy!!!
This is a true human-interest story about a recent patient experience
at Fountain View Family Dentistry. The patient’s name has been
changed to protect her identity. |
