“Blessed are they who hold lively conversations with the helplessly mute, for they shall be called dentists.” ―
My seven-year-old grandson had a visit to the dentist today. His mother reported he did great! She had braces when she was young. He’s getting some sort of expander to help with alignment. When I was growing up, I think they had just invented toothpaste.
I’m having a bridge installed. I’ve made several dental visits. All squeezed in before I move. Searching for a new dentist was one more hassle I didn’t want to tackle in my new location. Four different dentists have been involved in the project. This has got me thinking and doing some field work on the whole dental experience. Here goes:
The number of female dentists is rapidly increasing over the last decade. Up to almost 40% now. Glad to see 42% here in Texas, but only 8% in Utah. What’s the deal with those Mormons? My regular dentist is female. In fact, without planning it, all of my healthcare providers are female. It’s been a great experience for me. I wonder what my next life will be like as I lose my health insurance and then await Medicare. I’ll be in a big city filled up with great professionals. I hope falling apart doesn’t happen too quickly.
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ―
My dentist is very gregarious. She does a lot of face-to-face interaction, laughs at all my corny jokes and has an infectious good mood. Dentists come in a wide range of personalities, just like everyone else. Over the years, some of mine have seemed shy, others scripted, a few personable and only one had bad breath.
There is no reliable scientific evidence that dentists are more prone to suicide than people in other occupations. We call this belief an urban legend. But imagine how you would feel going to work each day and facing patients who were terrified to be there and waited until things had gotten catastrophic before making an appointment (my wife). What would it be like if you had to do all the talking? Instead of a happy exit, your patient is stumbling out with numb lips and wobbly from their stiffened recline.
“Eyes are the windows to the soul. A smile is the mirror of the heart” ―
My dentist runs her practice as a solo operation right now. Many have a technician/assistant that does much of the personal interaction with patients. Some of these dentists I have visited will sneak in from behind like an East German spy from the Cold War. I hear a soothing voice in my ear and know it’s time to open wide. I even had one dentist with a secret entry to the exam room. I could hear him coming in and out each time the door squeaked open. He’d hurry back to the safety of his office and regroup right after that injection. Many would dart back to their office to fill out a report or scan their schedule while waiting for the next step. Dentists don’t make “rounds” like physicians at the hospital.
There was another very, very outgoing dentist I met who reminded me of a salesman on TV. He had mastered the extravert personality type. I think he was the perfect match for his brand-new multi-doctor practice that he was managing. What a combination, great dentist and expert supervisor. That place was like visiting a busy Swedish airport. Seemed like hundreds of staff all running at top efficiency. An almost overwhelming experience. I’m glad I wasn’t in any pain and could notice all the details.
The front end of the dentist’s office is also a place of interest. Most people are probably afraid, in pain or distracted with their phones to pay enough attention. In my experience, the wise dentists have put someone with disarming personalities in the front. A person who is especially people oriented who can create a calming environment, schedule appointments when needed and tell you the bad news about your insurance (with a smile). I still don’t like it when they’re hiding behind a little glass window. Seems too sanitized and impersonal.
Out here in the suburbs, booking an appointment is getting difficult. We do have a dentist shortage in America right now. Texas is one of the ten states where the lack of dentists is the most severe. Since so many wait until it really hurts to call, that may be a terrible strategy if you’re in one of these ten states.
As time has moved on, as it always does, my experiences at the dentist has changed. It’s difficult to find a “generalist” who can do just about everything. When we moved to Houston in the late 90’s I found a few who could solve all my problems (almost). Our aging population, advances in technology and especially insurance have all worked to change our healthcare experiences. In good ways and maybe some that can be troublesome. Now, I have to go to a different specialist for this problem and that. Getting an appointment can take a month out here where I live. Aways some bad with the good, right?
“Progress always involves risk; you can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” ―
Does anyone remember the old-fashioned barber shop? Very difficult to find today. That striped pole outside the door is a holdover from the wild west days. Back then, the barber was also the dentist. He wasn’t specialized at all. If you had a problem, he just pulled it out. I wonder what those pliers were like? When you rode into town and you needed a dentist, because it was probably a painful emergency, you looked for the post outside the shop where the old bandages had been washed and hung to dry. They didn’t have any Dawn detergent back then. Probably easy to spot the post with the red stained rags wrapped around it.
As I’ve visited dentist after dentist these past few months, it’s obvious, we’ve come a long way. I didn’t see one pair of pliers. No matter where I was, everyone used their skills to solve my problems in the best way possible. Despite any momentary frustrations, being thankful for all the taken-for-granted is an important practice I keep working on.
I guess the moral of the story is to pay better attention. The professionals you interact with are people just like you. Get off the script and ask how their day is going. Sitting in those waiting rooms filled up with hurting and fearful folks, how about a smile to ease some of the burdens? Thinking about others is always the best medicine to ease your own pains and problems. It works every time. Give it a try.
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” ―
The Invisible Man 