Jane Bates: Care means taking time to explain and be kind
As someone with severe dental phobia, finding a kind and compassionate dentist made all the difference to Jane Bates, reminding her that a nurse’s true skill lies in how they treat patients
Odontophobia is just what it says – a fear of dentists. I am one of odontophobia’s leading lights – put ‘tooth’ and ‘drill’ in the same sentence and I’m off like a frightened rabbit.
Until I found a wonderful dentist, that is, a few years ago. He was different because he explained everything as he went along, even showing me the instruments he was going to use, which sounds scary but somehow wasn’t. I nearly wept when he retired.
Not only was he an excellent practitioner, he was also a role model. It is a simple thing, talking a patient through an anxiety-inducing procedure. It costs very little in
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