How to feel confident to return;
Humans put off going to the dentist for many reasons. For some of us, it’s the apprehension of pain in the near future. For others, cost is the can we kick down the road.
One of the most common reasons is a fear of the unknown. If you haven’t been to the dentist for a while, you start to think, what’s going on in there? What if I have lots of cavities? What if something worse is happening? You imagine showing up and receiving the bad news – it’s complicated.
Which leads to a secondary fear, which is receiving judgment from your dentist or hygienist. Most people dread a professional asking them why they haven’t been for so long, and doing some finger wagging like they’re a naughty child. No one wants that.
It’s not uncommon for people to have had bad dental experiences as a child. We are proud to say that dentistry has come a long way when it comes to pain management, empathy, and patient-centered care, which Vivo is all about. However, it wasn’t always this way. If going to the dentist was always a painful, confusing, awful experience in your past, it is absolutely understandable that you hesitate to book appointments now.
If any of this sounds like you, you are not alone. We have a few tips, and a healthy dose of friendly, welcoming energy to send your way.
If you’ve been putting off the dentist:
Tip #1: Book a simple exam.
This is an easy appointment where we just look at things and tell you what we see with transparency and no judgment at all. In an exam, there will be no pain, no action taken at all. You will leave knowing what your problems are, what your best options are, how we can fix it, and how much it will cost all ahead of time so you can make a proper informed decision.
Tip #2: Be honest about what is holding you back.
If it’s pain, we have many options to help you feel at ease and feel the least pain possible, and we can explain these to you so you know what’s available. If it’s cost, we can prioritize what is most important and you can start with that. All your choices moving forward are in your hands, not ours.
Tip #3: If you have questions, ask them.
We will offer you as much information as possible, but if you have a concern or question lingering in your mind, voice it. We want you to feel comfortable and confident about any plan moving forward before we turn to treatment. The feeling we have when you walk through our door is like any patient – we’re happy to see you here, and relish the opportunity to use our skills and get you back on track, whatever that means to you and however that happens.