Fraidy Cats Welcome at Johnson Dental
The number one concern I hear when I answer the phone in our office is that the patient on the other end of the line has had a scary or uncomfortable dental experience in the past. I often wonder what happened to cause people to have so many negative experiences in dentistry. Growing up in the business, with my mom as a dental assistant and then Dr. Johnson as my step father, I have never really known the side of dentistry that creates this sense of fear in people. After seven years on the job and countless hours hearing the stories of many of our patients (many in tears), I have developed a deep sense of compassion toward people who have had these types of experiences.
The number one cause of fear is because the patient has experienced pain in the past. Most often in childhood, patients complain of not being numb enough or even instances as bad as being held down for a procedure. Many of these patients have not been to the dentist in years. as you know, if you ignore your health, the problems you have begin to snowball. Ignoring them won't make them go away. Because of this, about six years ago we began offering sedation dentistry.
But it starts way before we sedate a patient.
You care begins with the very first telephone call to our office. We ask what may seem like some strange questions, for example: What is your favorite thing about the dentist? What hobbies do you have?
These questions are so that we can discover your interests and likes for the simple purpose of being able to treat you more personally and kindly. We truly do want to give individualized service because true customer care is such a rare thing these days. Wouldn't you agree? Since we will be taking care of an especially personal part of you (your mouth) it makes sense that we would spend some time finding out what treatment you like.
Next we ask you what you want. We don't TELL you what we want you to have. That's really not our place. We will share with you anything we see that we think might need your attention, but ultimately the decision is yours. We are happy to provide the care that YOU feel is most important.
Then, when your big day finally rolls around and your appointment time is here, if you have opted for sedation, you will have a team member from our office by your side the entire time. You will not be alone. You will be wrapped in some blankets to keep you warm as you drift of to a comfortable place. Your vital signed will be constantly monitored and you will be completely comfortable.
If this sounds like the way you might like to esperience dentistry, if you have a hard time getting numb, or if you just want to be able to get as much work done as possible them please let us know. We are happy to help you have the most pleasant experience possible.