Why Does Everything Have to Sound so Painful?

One thing that I really enjoy studying in the dental office is the art of communication. Growing up, I always had fond memories of going to the dentist. The sound of the hygienist polishing reminded me of an autobody shop, the water from the cavitron would lavage my teeth as I contemplated which fluoride flavor would give me the perfect end to another perfect checkup.

So it was a shock to me when in I realized how many people have a significant fear of the dentist. It was uncanny how they all had similar tales of past experiences. The dentist would give them a shot and then proceed to drill out a cavity, or yank a tooth, or file one down for a cap. This type of terminology reinforces the painfulness of the memory. The feelings that are aroused when someone mentions terms like drill, poke, and scrape immediately make someone apprehensive about receiving dental care. And in reality, these terms do not properly explain what a dentist is doing to help you achieve a long lasting healthy smile.

Teeth are not drilled and filled, but rather intricately prepared to remove decayed and broken tooth structure. The resulting shape is designed to make the resulting restoration both beautiful and resilient. When you think about the act, a dentist is taking a handpiece (not a drill) that has a turbine that spins as fast as a jet engine and, under high magnification, is shaping a tooth the size of a dime to tolerances of less than a millimeter! This precision allows us to expose damaged areas that are difficult to reach for even the most scrupulous brushers and flossers. And when we fill a tooth, we're not just dumping material into a hole, but rather we are replacing the damaged tooth structure with a bonded resin that mimics the shape and contours of the original tooth.

On the left is a drill, a tool that costs $40. On the right is a dental handpiece, a medical device that costs $1500

Now some may say that such semantics are good for a brochure but don't take away from the realities of the procedure. No matter how you phrase a dentist has to give you an injection of novocaine to do the work. And there is a certain amount of force that's needed to remove a tooth (although it's a lot more pushing than pulling). But by properly communicating the true nature of the work, we can prime our patients to focus on the value and benefits of the care.

Of course you're apprehensive when your hygienist says you need a deep cleaning where your teeth are going to get scraped. It's a totally different experience to say you need gum therapy to remove bacteria deposits that are leeching toxins into your bloodstream. You'd cringe if I said I was going to use my drill to cut up your tooth so I could extract it. But you'd be much more receptive if I said I was going to section a tooth into pieces so it could be removed while minimizing damage to the surrounding tissue.

The dialogue between a dentist and their patient is the foundation for a relationship built on trust. By communicating in a way that reinforces the value of dental care, you'll be excited to invest in your oral health because you'll have a better appreciation of how quality teeth improve your quality of life. By partnering with your dental team, you can maintain a smile that has you eating the foods you want and making the social impressions you want for years to come.