While watching a dental brush commercial the other day, the announcer held up a dental instrument and said, “Don’t you just hate the scraping?…everybody does.”
I was a little annoyed, but realize we have to face the fact that some of the things we do in a dental office are not enjoyable.
Coincidentally, I had that discussion with a couple of patients the day before about their dread of “the pick,”
It’s a common fear, but not a problem for all patients. When I asked those patients specifically what they hated about the pick, they both answered, “It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard.”
So I offered them an alternative—an ultrasonic scaler. The ultrasonic scaler removes hard deposits with a very fast, almost imperceptible vibrating tip. This worked well for them, and they appreciated not having to go through the scraping.
Other patients fear any instrument touching sensitive root surfaces. These surfaces are often sensitive due to excessive brushing in the first place, so we don’t usually have a need to scrape those areas at all. We just determine where these areas are located, make a note, and problem solved.
Some patients fear the “pick” we use to explore decay. They fear we will make a hole in the tooth or get the instrument stuck in the tooth. Neither of these is possible, and most patients know that’s true, but they can’t get by that idea. Caries detection devices can help eliminate the need to use these instruments, but they are still useful for detecting susceptible “pits” in the teeth.
We have many useful methods and equipment to help work around the parts of the dental visit you dread the most. Some people hate everything about their visit. Others have specific fears or dislikes. It’s important to make your dentist aware of what bothers you, so he or she can pick another way.
