How many of your patients suffer from sensitive teeth? How many of your patients have sensitive teeth? Yes, they are two different questions.
Having a condition is completely separate to it impacting on your life. I’m sure every dentist has had a patient insist they do not have sensitive teeth only to jump out of the chair during the examination. It’s not that these patients are lying to you, they often just don’t consider themselves to be suffering, and often will not realise they have the condition. That may seem hard to believe but actually the explanation is about as simple as it can be. As the great philosopher Jeremy Bentham said, “Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure.” As human beings we naturally avoid doing things that cause us pain. For the more low-brow it is like that old Tommy Cooper joke: “I went to the doctor the other day and I said it hurts when I do this. He said well don’t do that then.”
Often someone with sensitive teeth will have adjusted their habits to ensure they do not feel that pain. So patients avoid ice cold drinks or hot coffees to ensure they do not suffer. For dentists to treat a problem effectively they must be aware of it, and central to gaining that awareness is effective communication. Effective communication isn’t fulfilling a tick box of questions, it is conversational. This helps puts patients at ease and more likely to open up to you.
Sensitive subject
Communication and awareness of patient needs and expectations can be extended to a general rule of effective patient care. But how comfortable are you discussing a subject which for some is more sensitive than a reaction to cold drinks: religion.
Religion is one of the subjects which people are increasingly uncomfortable talking about, particularly Islam. In recent weeks we’ve seen the horrific murder of a British soldier by Islamic extremists, and the reaction of the anti-Islamic English Defence League. The risk of being labelled an extremist or (in some people’s eyes the far worse tag of) intolerant means many people would rather avoid any recognition of the subject at all, but it isn’t a subject which should be ignored.
The reason I mention this is actually because in mid-June I attended the Local Dental Committees Conference, and more specifically the pre-conference dinner. It was a black tie event and had John Motson (in his trademark sheepskin coat) as the after dinner speaker. Whilst enjoyable, the meal was fairly uneventful; the night’s edification actually came from my cab journey home.
Noting my formal attire, the driver asked where I had been and we began discussing the LDC and dentistry in general. Before too long he was testing me on my knowledge – and asked if I knew what the traditional method of teeth cleaning was in many Muslim communities. Yes, the conversation touched on religion without anyone being offended or uncomfortable (it can happen).
Answers
Miswak is the traditional teeth cleaning method – it’s still used by a significant number of Muslims in the UK today. But the more important answer is to do with patient understanding (see page 26 of this issue). The same is true for religion as it is with anything - the better your practice team understands a patient, the more effective the care provided can be.
Eddie MacKenzie