Emotional dentistry is rooted in the fact that social well-being should not be ignored in the healthcare system. That is why it is considered a new approach in oral health that carefully considers behavioral health for your dental treatment. This article is for you if you feel unheard or misunderstood during your dentist appointment.
Definition of Emotional Dentistry
Today’s dentists must possess additional skills on top of their technical abilities. Communicational skills are critical for any treatment plan. Emotional dentistry will ensure that you have a mutually beneficial conversation with your dentist so you can have more satisfying results. It also regulates the emotional part of the procedure for the dentist and the patient to create a pleasant experience for them both.
What Is the Role of Emotional Dentistry?
The primary role of emotional dentistry is to create a trusting environment where the dentist and patient can discuss their concerns. It can significantly help when there are difficult situations, such as when the patients are not convinced to complete the necessary procedure or have odontophobia.
What Are the Tools of Emotional Dentistry?
The benefits of emotional dentistry are based on active listening, intrapersonal, and interpersonal skills. We will further explain each here:
Active Listening
Active listening ensures the person in front of you realizes that you are listening with the intention of helping without any judgment. So the patient will feel free and comfortable to share any concerns that they have about the procedure. When you have a chance to have a constructive discussion, you can hope for a higher chance of success.
Intrapersonal Skills
Working on factors such as accountability and assertiveness can affect the communication between the dentist and the patient. Your doctor should be able to handle challenging or stressful situations with confidence. When the doctor shows confidence, the patient will have more faith in the treatment.
Interpersonal Skills
Emotional dentistry also concentrates on every individual in the dental clinic and how the team and staff of the clinic can have a healthy relationship with the patients. Everybody in this environment should have empathy and respect for one another. Experts should also constantly improve their knowledge to provide better services to every patient.
Emotional Dentistry vs. Traditional Dentistry
Traditional dentists are fonder of avoiding emotions and proceeding logically. That is why sometimes patients feel their doctor doesn’t understand them and just intends to lecture about oral health. However, answering questions about the steps of the procedure is not enough nowadays. Your doctor should be able to address the psychological impact of dentistry that affects decision-making.
What Is Patient-Centric Care?
Patient-centric care emerged as a subsequent of emotional dentistry and promoted the idea that your patients are human beings and should be treated as such. This notion is rooted in nursing and long-term care professionals’ belief in recognizing the living situation, resources, and self-management skills in illness treatment.
Patient-Centric Care and Oral Treatments
Patient-centric care can make a meaningful change in dentistry and the way oral treatments are performed. In traditional dentistry, treatment plans and techniques are the centerpiece of your experience. However, it is a different story for dental clinics that practice emotional dentistry and look for a patient-centric solution. In these clinics, your general health is taken into account, and you will have a much more pleasant experience as your doctor is equipped with the proper tools for this approach.
Choose Your Dentist Wisely
Emotional dentistry fills the gap between expert techniques and mutual understanding. Connecting with your dentist emotionally will take your treatment to a whole new level. Aria Dental Care in Orange County, CA, offers holistic and biocompatible services in a friendly environment where you can freely discuss your emotional concerns. Feel free to contact us for a consultation so we can answer your every question.
FAQ
Most Frequently Asked Questions
Emotional dentistry means your dentist cares about your emotions throughout the dental procedure.
As a dentist, emotional intelligence will help create a better patient experience.
They will listen to your concerns, answer all your questions and explain your treatment procedure.
Traumatizing experiences you’ve had before could cause emotional reactions.
Stress and anxiety lead to teeth grinding and many other problems. Consult your holistic dentist for further information.
Anxious people avoid dentist appointments, leading to dental problems.
