Hearing that you need a root canal can be a scary thing for a lot of people. The horror stories that have circulated have given a root canal a very bad reputation. Most dentists know this and can be friend or foe in this situation.
Let's take Dentist A. He tells you that a root canal is necessary. He has worry in his eyes, he is looking afraid for you. He tells you he is sorry that this has happened and subconsciously sends the message that a root canal is a bad thing.
The patient of Dentist A will most likely be afraid of the procedure. They have received the message from their dentist, a professional in his field, that a root canal is a bad thing to experience. They are likely to put off the procedure, shun any advice about it, and wait until the tooth is very painful before proceeding with treatment. Waiting until the tooth is very painful will make the procedure unpleasant, just as Dentist A portrayed to the patient. In other words, a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Then there's Dentist B. He tells his patient that the tooth needs a root canal but assures his patient that the procedure is pain free if taken care of right away. He answers the patient's questions in a confident manner, and shows no fear to the patient. The patient gets the message that a root canal is no big deal, just a necessary procedure. This patient might research information on the Internet or library about root canals and go into the procedure knowledgeable and confident that there will be no pain. And that is exactly what happens.
Now, I am not saying that dentists create fear of root canal in their patients where none was present before. Different patients have a different level of fear when it comes to dental work so some will be afraid no matter what is said. What I am saying is that a dentist can take a vital role in allaying the fears of their patients by instilling their own confidence level to the patient instead of catering to the patient's fear or a root canal's bad reputation.
Many people have expressed that they were anxious and worried before having a root canal only to be pleasantly surprised that it was completely pain free. The smile on the patient's face after the procedure was over was a testament to that fact.
Debbie Boynton has worked in the dental field for eight years. She shares more information on this topic at: http://www.root-canal-info.com/DentalFear.html You may use this article freely on your website as long as this resource box is included and this article remains unchanged! Copyright 2006 Debbie L Boynton