|
When dealing with anxious patients (and most people feel some degree of anxiety), it is important that you project complete
confidence in yourself. You must feel and act happy to take care of your patient! Perhaps the most important rule is to ACT
HAPPY AND CONFIDENT at all times. If you don't feel confident in your ability to deal with your patient, FAKE IT. Practice
makes perfect.
If at all possible, "collect" your patients in the waiting room. This instantly suggests a personal interest in
your patient. If you don't know who your patient is, call out their first (or first and last) name - it tends to sound better
when intonated as a question (or say something along the lines of "I'm looking for Jenny Davis?"). Extend your hand
to shake hands while introducing yourself, and look your patient in the eyes. This may seem obvious, but make the handshake
gentle. The same goes for the first physical contact at the start of the initial exam - touch your patient as gently as humanly
possible. This will convey concern for your patient's comfort and suggest pain-free treatment.
Introduce yourself by your first name, and throw your patient's name in for good measure if you like - "Hi Jenny, I'm
Mark". If you're lucky enough to look very young, you may want to use some clarifiers, e. g. "I'm Mark, I'm your
dentist", or "I'm Dr Smith, but everyone calls me Mark." Most patients prefer to call their dentists by their
first name (just "Mark", not "Dr. Mark"), though some older patients may feel happier to be addressed
as "Mrs. Davis" (if they perceive this as a sign of respect), and will prefer to address you as "Dr. Smith"
in return. It can be a good idea to have the following item on your new patient form (immediately after Name): I LIKE TO BE
CALLED: If your patient wants to be called "Mrs. Davis", introduce yourself as "Dr. Smith", if she wants
to be called "Jenny", introduce yourself as "Mark". Be enthusiastic and warm.
Once you've introduced yourself, say something along the lines of "Would you like to follow me in?" and take them
to the treatment room. As mentioned before, people use tactile cues to figure out if you'll be gentle or rough with them.
This tendency is easily "exploited" during the initial meet and greet, which sets the tone for all subsequent interaction:
you may gently touch them on the shoulder (as cultural conventions allow) to point them in the direction of the treatment
room. A gentle touch on the shoulder is experienced as a cue of how gentle you will be intraorally.
As an opening statement, ask your patient why they are there, e. g. "So, Judy, why did you come to see me?".
Some basic tips for interacting with your patient: use your patient's name frequently to suggest an interest in them as a
person, and make it a habit to praise your patient as often as possible - most people react very positively to praise (even
when it's perfectly clear to them that they haven't actually "done" anything to deserve it). Use phrases such as
"You're doing great there". If you need to say anything that might sound "negative", couple it with positive
feedback (e. g. "You're doing such-and-such really well... that's great. Let me just to show you how you might improve
on..."). This will lead your patient to interpret your feedback as constructive advice, rather than criticism, and increase
compliance.
|
