Victimizing Patient with Dental Anxiety Disorder - CAUTION GRAPHIC CONTENT

[Dempcey]

(Please be advised that this post is EXTREMELY graphic!!!)

I have severe dental anxiety.
The logical part of my brain *understands* this:

The anxiety is set off by "triggers", those triggers are:
Metals near or in my mouth,
The sounds that metals make when interacting together or on something,
Anyone or anything handling my mouth and or face (more so in a rough manner),
Foul smells too close to my face or in my mouth,
Men: Unknown to me (stranger) touching my face, mouth, head
Any aggressive male
Standing over me closely

After reading WebMD's "What Causes Dental Phobia and Anxiety?" I was left feeling just a little annoyed.

• Fear of pain - No, that's not it. Doesn't help, but it's not the pain.
• Fear of injections or fear the injection won't work - Yes a little, but the fear of the injection starts before the needle reaches my mouth. It's the nasty flavored topical numbing agent (Orajel). YES! I FEAR that stuff! I don't care what flavor it is suppose to be, bubble Gum, Strawberry and the worst of them all, Pina Colada! It's a given my tongue is going to get a dose of this nasty stuff, but it's when it reaches the back of my throat, I really start to panic. I feel like I am choking, the taste actually turns into a smell and though I can breath I still feel as if I am going to choke.
• Feelings of helplessness and loss of control - Yes and no. Yes, because the emotional me is screaming in sheer panic "RUN, YOUR IN DANGER!" and there is a since of not having control. No, because even the emotional me knows I am big enough and strong enough now as an adult to physically remove myself from any harmful situation.
• Embarrassment and loss of personal space - As described on WebMD does not apply to me. I was the aid to several paralyzed clients, trust me I have been more up close and personal with the human body than I need to share with you. So closeness and caring for the human body - not the issue UNLESS it is a MALE dentist! Then it becomes a serious problem. Problem enough that I actually struck one male dentist. I didn't strike him consciously! I was under mild sedation and I had a horrible nightmare under the influence; the devil or some demon was in the dental exam room perched on top of me hurting me and telling me I was coming to hell. I reacted. I clearly remember the dentist face he was shocked and slightly angry (not that I blame the man one bit!) I apologized profusely, but to this day I still feel horrible for striking another human being who was only trying to help me.

GRAPHIC:
What Causes My Dental Phobia and Anxiety?
To be completely honest I don't believe I have "Dental Phobia or Anxiety"; In fact I'm 100% sure I do not!
At five years old I was molested by my baby sitters teenage son. I was downstairs with the baby sitter sitting next to her watching the television when he came down and convinced me to go upstairs with him, I did. His bedroom was fairly dark and he might as well had asked me "Want some candy little girl, mah ha ha?" He held up a sandwich bad stuffed with candy telling me that he would give me the whole bag if I put this (his penis) in my mouth. For anyone that has never had a childhood traumatic experience and then one as an adult, I cannot begin to express how much more powerful a child's is! It is the ultimate survival mode one can ever experience. as an adult one can rationalize, has a better understanding of the world, life and people, but as a child knowing and understanding very little of any well, panic is heightened so strongly that even the body responds. If one could imagine having Spider-Man's "Spidey Sense" that makes him tingle all over his body, it is the same thing, but the senses is all FEAR and FLEE!

That candy was appealing enough for the five year old me to disregard the Blue Alert and sense to flee and he placed his penis in my mouth. Do you think a nasty little molester is going to stop and think "Hmm I'm going to molest this little girl, let me go wash up a bit before I put my urine dripped penis in her mouth". No, no they do not and his penis tasted FOUL! Soon to follow by a musky foul smell emanating from his groin. Skip Yellow Alert and straight to RED ALERT! Sense to flee and survive more powerful than finding a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. Please don't ask me how I got out of there, while in that state of panic at five years old one is not "thinking". I do remember however, he was not willing to give up his endeavor so easily and it took some effort for me to escape. Yes, escape for I remember enough to know that I had to run for it to get out and away from him. I ran downstairs and nearly sat on top of the baby sitters lap, I also remember her asking me "What's wrong" with a little concern. The molester came down stairs at some point and I stayed glued to his mother. At five years old I had enough sense to tell my mother when she picked me up and I never returned to that baby sitter. What ever came of it? I have no idea.

Seventeen years old, living in a hotel coming from population 1001 I was far what one would call "street savvy" and a mid age man convinced me to get into his van. He proceeds to kidnap me at knife point and take me to a field far from town. Once in the field he takes me to the back of the van where he drops his pants and places his hunter's knife to my throat. He tells me to give him oral sex and that if I let one drop of his semen spill he would cut my throat (not in those proper words of course much nastier). I was wearing a necklace and with the movement of my head the necklace tapped against his knife (metal against metal). If the memory of the baby sitters molester son was bad this rapist taste and smell was horrific! So many times I gagged, choked and nearly vomited. After he had his way it was all I could say and do to make him set me free and after a fairly short debate of if he should let me go or not and reading very much in his mind that it was a debate for him, he did let me go, completely naked in that field. Justice was lightening fast, as I was finally able to get out of that field and find a road who should be cruising by, but a patrolman. Naked I stood in the middle of the small road and flagged him down. Nice man, got a blanket from his trunk wrapped me up and took me to the hospital. Being "physical evidence" to a crime is not very pleasant! Although doctors and nurses are sympathetic to the trauma the victim has just suffered they still have a job to do. This rapist was caught within a few hours of his crime and soon after my testimony in court he was to serve five years in prison.

This is why I have "dental issues"! Everything the dentist has to do to treat me is a "trigger" to these two traumatic events in my past. Outside of the dentist, day to day I haven't any "issues", not even with romantic partners. The only exception and it has rarely ever happened is coming a crossed an aggressive male (seeing that "debate" if he should let me live or cut my throat). By no means do I live my life as a "VICTIM". My logical mind has buried those memories, but the dentist exhumes them in full force.

For the sake of not knowing how to explain emotions and irrationality into words I will refer to the "anxiety and phobia" as "victim me". Victim me has made excuse after excuse not to go to the dentist, some fairly just, but most of the time completely irrational. I have canceled dental appointments, I have even been so immature as to committed the "No Shows" which if you knew me I do not do, ever, except for the dentist! When a tooth ache has been so severe that I wanted to just die, I finally made my way to the dentist on an emergency basis and had the tooth that was hurting me extracted rather than treated (as I should have done because I had lovely teeth and there was no reason to pull them). I have had all of my molars extracted, but one.

For the past seven years the first few years I sis the whole "excuses" thing, but my teeth were becoming worse and worse by the month not year. By the time I finally convinced myself to "Stop being a big freaking baby and go handle your damn business like a mature adult" our dear government saw fit to cancel my dental insurance. "HA! Now I can't go to the dentist so there!" The abscess in my upper right canine had reached my sinus cavity just under my eye and even down into my lower jaw. Oddly enough I wasn't experiencing any real "tooth pain". Besides seeing the two large gaps each time I smile where my molars should be I was making myself NUTS by chewing while sucking the side of my tongue in the gap on the right side. I do it without even thinking about it that is until I make my tongue sore.

April 2015 I finally found a dentist office that accepted my insurance, this was extremely hard to find! But now the really hard part begins, forcing myself to go to the dentist. I call the dentist office and my first question is "Do you have a female dentist?" The woman over the phone says "Yes, we do" Fantastic, hurdle #1 jumped and cleared. It is so hard for me to tell anyone of the two traumatic events in my past; It doesn't bring me pain, embarrassment, fear or shame. It's because my mind sees fit to bury it because if and when it fails to keep it buried I become angry, hostile, vengeful, spiteful and even if I dare say murderous. The only way I will ever feel justice has been served is if I could do to those two low life humans EXACTLY what they did to me. The moment I have to explain why I need a female dentist my attitude takes a world record bungee jump straight down to hell. I can't stop it, I can't bloody control this jump and knowing that I "lose control" makes me absolutely spitting mad, infuriates me to something like insanity. It makes me this angry because it makes me feel weak, believe myself stupid! Which I am neither!

But I explained without the graphic detail to the woman over the phone that this is important for the dentist to know! I have severe dental anxiety! "Oh we understand, no problem".

Major infection in my mouth and instead of sending me home with some with a prescription for antibiotics my now former dentist in her professional wisdom proceeds with treatments (filling cavities, cleaning, root canal and extraction) all to be done in two months time. I don't fear pain, but I sure as hell don't want any unnecessary pain! In those two months, in the lead is logical me yelling and demanding "GET IT OVER WITH!" closely followed by the five year old crying and screaming "RUN! YOU'RE IN DANGER!" making me feel the panic surge through my body, while in third place is victim me trying to make every possible excuse not to go. Result, logical me buries each and every appointment until the very moment I walk into the dental office. Then in my mind, all hell breaks loose.

If one does not know what an anxiety attack feels like, please allow me to explain:
My body temperature feels too warm, I might even begin to sweet. A jittery feeling begins as though I have drank an unhealthy amount of strong coffee. Sometimes I cannot keep my leg from bouncing. A great deal of unwarranted agitation comes over me, I feel hostile and resentful until those emotions start to make my stomach becomes upset. The urge to flee the situation that is causing the bitter emotions is overwhelming and then the battle of logic verses anxiety commences;
Anxiety: "If you just run away you will be safe and feel better"
Logic: "If you run away you will be toothless and that is not very attractive and hypocritical of you considering you wouldn't date a man without teeth." (For the record I mean no teeth in the mouth, dentures, partials is still teeth).

On and on in my head the battle goes on essentially making me half crazy because somewhere, in the deepest, dark dungeon of my mind imprisoned is the "real me" that doesn't want to be bothered with such insanity, but helpless to do a damn thing about it.

My name is called and now my heart starts to race, adrenaline activated as though I am truly about to be put to death or some horrible physical act I don't approve is about to be committed to me. I feel all of this, I know what I am feeling, but I lack consciousness of exactly how I am behaving. I think I am "keeping my cool" but sadly I am hostile, unfriendly, resentful, negative and want only to escape.

I was victimized and had been an absolute fool! A fool because I *trusted* that "We understand"; if anyone in that dental office "understood" why was my "attitude" construed as I have a "bad attitude" instead of a "stressed patient"? Why was I judged and my behavior taken personally by all in that office? I didn't use profanity, I didn't raise my voice, I didn't say anything mean, personal or anything that could even be considered rude. No, the only thing on my mind was keeping the anxiety voices at bay, keep my butt in that dental chair and be as still as possible so they could hurry the hell up and get out of my mouth and out of my face! I the few times I opened my eyes I remember thinking at one point when I was able to shut the anxiety up was "She is cute as puppies" (my dentist and "She is so tiny and petite - tee hee I'm a little envious" (referring to the dental assistant. But per some "manager" I am a rude nasty person.

I was a professional and my work ethics are quite high and I expect the same when I conduct business with anyone or simply I will not do business with them. If forced to do business with someone lacking quality work ethics then I am going to let them know about it "professionally". My dentist told me I would be receiving partials (A) and allowed me to believe that for two weeks. Come the third week she drops the bomb that I could only get partials (B) which did anger me. Why? Because partials (B) clamp onto my teeth with metal! I don't even allow metal eating utensils to touch my teeth! I don't like metal near or in my mouth, it sets my teeth on edge, like fingernails down a chalk board.

I asked if I could get partial (A) and pay the difference of partials (B) "That would be insurance fraud" the dentist tells me, this information makes me very angry. I understand a little how my insurance could say "If you can afford to pay the difference, pay for partials (B)", but fraud? I asked my dentist question after question in hopes to find a solution, but instead of being helpful she tells me stories of her other patients who hadn't much luck with partials. Yes, my body language and tone of my voice was irritable, but I also told her in the midst of that conversation that I was mostly irritated with my insurance and government. At no point was there cause for the dentist to pitch tantrum #1, leave the room without word, doesn't return and leave and sends in dental assistant (B) to come in and finish her job. Near tears, trying to contemplate HOW I am going to live with these metal clamp partials. These partials are important to me because I am tired of hurting my tongue and because I don't enjoy eating like a rodent with my front teeth and would like to chew my food like a human being. The job that needed to be finished is the large amount of filling material the dentist left on the side of my teeth that was jagged and sharp scratching up my tongue. Even the dental assistant said "Oww" as in "This was a bad job". But dental assistant (B) has heavy hands and is quite rough! Not a happy place in my mind, more so after the tantrum.

First Root Canal: I am shot SIX times with that elephant needle to attempt to numb the area. After some twenty minutes dentist returns to room and makes the first touch to the tooth and I nearly fell out of the chair from excruciating pain.
Dentist: "You can't be numbed. Going to put you on some antibiotics and let you sit for a week."
In my mind" "Ya think! Should have been done FIRST VISIT!"
Yes I had a very "Bad Attitude" because yet another full week of living with the anxiety, the stress, the mental battle between "Gett'er Done" vs "Run! You're in danger!" as well as the many ridiculous excuses that came to my head that I don't even think victim could respect. In other words I just sat through taste, smell
trigger along with pain and disappointment. But if 100% honest so relieved to be getting the hell out of that office early and without "treatments".


For the first three weeks I received two to three emails a week as an appointment reminder for the following week. I was also receiving text messages that if I didn't respond to it, I would receive more text messages reminding me of my appointment the following week. I responded to the email explaining that I am a 3rd shift person and 47 years old and if they would please desist with all the email and text messages reminders I would be most grateful. No joy. Second week the same thing, several email reminders and text messages waking me from sleep. Now I am annoyed. I'm annoyed because each and every time I am reminded of an appointment I am forced to deal with anxiety anticipation, I am forced to deal with the stress at home that mind mind manages to bury until I walk through the dental office door. Insensitive!

The third week seriously annoyed, I called the dental office after being woken up yet again by a text message and though they could not possibly know my thirteen year old dog is terminally ill and near death and I am not receiving quality rest at home trying to care for his needs. Yes! My tone was irritable (had just been woken up) and I asked yet again to be removed from the appointment reminder as I requested via email week one and by their website week two.

Personal Note: My boyfriend and I joke and kid in an adult manner and his playful comments in regards to our sexual life are funny and cute, but due to the stress this dental office caused me my relationship was strained. "I told you how traumatic dental work is for me, and I told you why. Yet every night, several times a night you want to keep mentioning something about your YooHoo, my face and mouth! Could you be any more insensitive?" I was so mean to him I made him cry. (No he is no push over cry baby and I felt like dirt! He hadn't been insensitive, he just didn't think about it as I had not until victim said "That's enough damn it!"

 

[Dempcey]

Re: Victimizing Patient with Dental Anxiety Disorder - CAUTION GRAPHIC CONTENT

Continued,...

Extraction: Why my female dentist does not and refuses to extract teeth, honestly I don't care. I do care that the only dentist that office to get to pull my tooth was male. Do you think anyone warned him of my dental anxiety? Of course not so his attitude towards my dental anxiety stress was unfriendly to say the least.
Him: "How are you?"
Me: "Cranky."
All nonsense aside this dentist rocked! I know tooth extractions! He was able to numb me with just two shots and had that tooth pulled in less than two minutes. Because the extraction took less than five minutes he said nothing and though every single trigger was set off and though I was capped at maximum stress level, this male dentist was the best experience of all ten appointments.
As he was leaving the room: "You are cranky."
Well at least he listened and possibly even took heed.
I thought: "I'm not really cranky, I'm just scared as hell! But worthless trying to explain."
I said nothing, all I wanted was to make a run for the boarder to get away from the stress.

Root Canal: The tooth needing the root canal (canine) is next to the extraction site and following week of. All is going to plan, dentist at one point even said "You're doing great" and not too long after "Almost done". Then she just stops what she is doing, without word leaves the room. A few minutes later with me still in the chair mouth open with the bite guard in walks the office manager asking me for payment for the stud for the root canal. No mistaking or denying I was angry and my "attitude" reflected it. This couldn't have been asked when I walked through the door? This couldn't have been settled at the end of my appointment? Office manager just bats her eyes and says nothing, which angers me further as I am trying to get the bite guard out of my mouth and get out of the chair that hasn't even been sat up for me. Now is the time to also express that I have been forced into retirement because I managed to blow two disc in my spine.
I have pain every single day of my life and some days are more painful than others. Sitting in normal chairs without the relief of being able to put my feet up or change positions (such as waiting room and examining chairs) cause me great pain after ten minutes. This pain causes me to scowl, sweet mildly and generally want to get away from everyone). However, friends and family long ago alerted me to the scowl and have been able to correct my facial expression when dealing with others. I am and have been on a fairly strong pain medication for pain management, but and that's a BIG BUT, I do not take said medication eight hours prior to driving. Add this pain, lack of pain medication in my system, several unprofessional and insensitive acts to this unprofessional act and Whoola "bad attitude"!

What would have happened if I couldn't pay? Would the dentist had left the canal open and sent me away? Packed the canal with medicine and sent me home? This was a blatant, disgusting scam to force me to pay! Sidestepping the inconsideration for my disorder. Anger a patient with a disorder and cause them more anguish by making them deal with a longer than necessary visit.

Solo Molar: So this is only the second time the bite guard was used to give my jaw a break from holding my mouth open. I want to complain about this little tid bit however, forcing myself to keep my mouth open and staying still was a little of a distraction of the anxiety. Also because I have horrible allergies that run from my forehead straight to the back of my throat, I need to swallow and I can't do that with the bite guard in. I keep trying to tell the dental assistant (A) that she is being too rough pulling at my lips and skin, in other words I'm putting up a little of a fight. When I get home still thickly numb I see why I was in so much pain, she had torn the skin at the corner of my mouth. Royal pissed off I took a picture of it so they couldn't say it didn't happen. Thank goodness I did! Because if what has been said to me is true, it is seven again my one. (I would like to add for the record dental assistant (A) with the short hair, is a sweetheart and regardless of what I have been told I don't believe she said anything too awful about me.)

Miscellaneous of Various Appointments: Day later filling fell out. Another incident, though several and still have this issue, some of my fillings are sharp and jagged causing dental floss to shred with insert and snap (break) upon removing. Between two teeth I can barely get dental floss in usually causing the floss to snap. But at this point and after the tantrums, the negative stories I get about dentist other patients, all the incidents of unprofessional acts and insensitivity, trust broken WHY would I ask her to correct any of her work?

June 17th Wednesday 2015 dentist Tantrum #2, this time dentist actually tosses my partial onto the tray next to me, leaves the room without word, doesn't return leaving dental assistant (B) Ms. Rough to finish her work - again. Issue, my partials. I have never worn partials, never experienced partials, sad and frustrated that they are freaking me out to some degree, but determine to make them work.

That major infection, NOT completely healed! In fact my gum around the root canal tooth and extraction site (side by side) is RED, PAINFUL and ANGRY! To *force* that hard acrylic partial onto that site was extremely pain! Not to mention the edges of the mold were thick, jagged and rested directly against the bone in my mouth. Never ind the fact that they felt like two huge, bulky things in my mouth! "Got to deal with it, got to deal with it" I tell myself in that chair, but I feel the tears coming.

I was in extreme frustration because I have no idea how to explain to the dentist where and why it hurts, but it hurts everywhere! Not a "discomfort", PAIN! Sit something again your knee bone or elbow that is sharp and hard now imagine that in the your mouth under your tongue. I am trying to show her with my finger, but my finger and hand are blocking her sigh and I know it. Again this is very important to me and I *need* to get it right. Too late, tantrum #2, sending in Ms. Rough dental assistant (B) to her rescue. The dentist even forgot to write the prescription (or was unwilling) for the Chlorhexidine Gluconate oral rinse she suggested I use to clear up the angry infection. (I'm thinking antibiotics, but hard to discuss that when the dentist is in the other room refusing to assist her patient.

Did I have a "bad attitude" with the dentist that day? Yes a bit, but it is because this is the day she wants to keep telling me about her other patients bad experience with partials and I did not want to hear about that rather or perhaps a few words such as
Dentist: "Don't worry Ms. XXXX. We're going to get these as comforable as possible for you. I'm not going to give up on ya."

Nope what I get from my now former dentist is:
Dentist: Some people just can't wear partials." and
"I had one patient buy a set of the really *good* partials, cost him $2300.00 and a few months later he returned them saying he just couldn't do it. Essentially wasted his $2300.00"

My thoughts in my head: "Didn't we go over this a few weeks ago when you pitched tantrum #1? I didn't need negativity. I explained why the partials were important, to have a fair quality of life and you know I am already blazing angry that I cannot get the partials *I NEED* without the metal clamps! It's as if she wants to push my buttons. Trying to upset me, DOESN'T CARE!"

Dental assistant (B) comes in and is sanding away at my partials and I'm feeling like she has no idea what and where to start, but she's still sanding away. Not soon after the office manager comes in and is standing behind me as if "What's the problem here?" and I ask "Now why is she in here?" Thinking "The #$%^* hasn't been *concerned* from jump street". (Resent part of my anxiety). She quickly hurried out.
Assistant (B): "She's the office manager. I dunno."
as if again I'm the problem.

At this point: Even at this point I am still willing to work with said dentist, even willing to apologize for what I know was "my bad attitude". So I called the next day June 18th Thursday 2015 and ask to speak to the office manager. I have but one pet peeve and that is to repeat myself unnecessarily and of course as to be completely thorough the woman that answered the phone made sure she struck upon this nerve. I asked to speak to the office manager. She asked my name and said to me she wasn't in, can I help you? I said no, I need to speak to the office manager. Can I take a message? Sure, Please call MS. XXXX. What was your name? "She's not listening" I am think and after asking me two more times if she could help me my resolve cracked. What I mean by that is I could no longer disguise my irritation, about 20% crack.

Almost two hours later I get a call from a man named JEFF COHEN...
From the time I answered my phone with "Hello", this man was abrasively aggressive (the kind of aggressive that can make me hurt a man before he can hurt me). He was loud and at one point in the conversation which was not a conversation at all, rather a "HATE CALL" he yelled at me. Mind you there was ZERO pleasant about his tone, he had not called to resolve any misunderstandings and unwilling at all to hear my side (seven against one).
He asked me "What do you want?"
I replied to find out what is the problem that the dentist is having with me and why she keeps pitching the tantrums. Mind you, I am at home, not in anxiety mode, a little stressed behind my dog, and I should have been asleep at that hour, but fairly rested. I didn't dislike my dentist and in fact I felt bad that she had to deal with my dental anxiety disorder. I was hoping to make amends even if I had to accept blame that wasn't owed to me. I quickly lost this desire attempting to speak to Jeff Cohen, because I could barely get a word in edge wise and the few times he didn't cut me off that were remotely showing fault in the dentist this is when he started to yell over me. His words and I quote word for word:

"No! I don't believe a thing you have to say, I have worked with those people for years and they have never been rude."
"I believe them!"
"They are only being polite to be professional."
"I have spoken to everyone there and they all say you are rude."
"You are going to schedule an appointment for your fitting and you WILL have a friendly attitude"
"You're rude and no one at that office likes you."
"Now, when do you want to schedule your appointment?"

I just went silent. Finally I said "I think I had consult my lawyer before making an appointment."
His response: "You have a lawyer, I bet".
His tone clearly suggested that peasants don't have lawyers and now a few things are starting to make sense.
I hung up on him and started to cry, not long after my stomach started to ache and continued for the eighteen hours I was up that day. I did contact my lawyer and I really did not like what she had to say which was "Legally you are obligated to give XXXX Dental one more chance to fit your partials".

There are dumb ideas and then there are really stuck on stupid ideas and going into a lions den as a two legged rabbit is well you get the idea. I went online to have a look at reviews and what do I find, but another patient with Dental Anxiety who had gotten the same call from Jeff Cohen, but he had went a step further with her and threatened her. Dear gods WHY couldn't he have threatened me??? Why oh why!!! Looking further I see that Jeff Cohen is a liar (he says his title is manage to some, but owner to me), a narcissist and a BULLY! If there is one thing I don't do is Bully's, cowards and sissies!

Victimized yet again! I had actually been sitting here feeling awful and beating myself up for my attitude though majority of it was dental anxiety talking and not "me". I told myself "No one is prefect and people make mistakes".

Hardly! They will pay for making me suffer and endure far more anxiety than need be because they have no concern of their patients mental health! Not every patient can be "prefect" and have a "friendly attitude".

In conclusion: I shared all of this to get it off my chest and to prevent me from murdering Jeff Cohen, rule number one, if one is going to take someone out TELL NO ONE, so as I said it assuredly if (and I wouldn't bit a bit surprised if some husband of a patient doesn't take him out) - IT WASN'T ME!

In all rights in just the two events I had shared here I could have a "bad attitude", I could have a host of disorders, but I have learned the best revenge is truly living well. I share so others like me know they are not are not alone and there is no need to feel ashamed, embarrassed, never accept being made to feel bad about yourself, or suppress a rightful "bad attitude" when a "professional" is being unprofessional to you.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: Hopefully a few dentist that are in need will read and take heed understanding the difference between a "bad attitude" and an "anxiety stress" attitude (though it is not an attitude problem at all). Learn to ask the right questions of a patient that seems hostile or unfriendly towards them to identify a possible disorder as not to compound the problem. (Some patients may not even realize they have a disorder or their behavior). Maybe, the right someone will realize that dentist are in need of some "sensitivity training" in regards to the disorders.

Apologies for the book and lack of editing, too tired now to edit.
DK

 

[comfortdentist]

Re: Victimizing Patient with Dental Anxiety Disorder - CAUTION GRAPHIC CONTENT

I have heard all of these triggers before. I treated a patient whose "social" distance was best described as being 3 feet. Early interaction was chiefly about convincing the patient that they would have a level of control and gaining trust. Not easy but all treatment was accomplished.