PATIENT COMFORT

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THE VALUE OF PAINLESSNESS

My community calls me “Painless Pete”, which I like. “Painless” is true because I understand how to do dentistry without pain, during or after, because I understand the inflammatory pathways of oral tissues. Secondly, I like being called “Pete”, because it indicates they like me, trust me, and find me approachable. At root I am driven to optimize the patient’s experience of their time in my office. I take full responsibility for delivering the highest quality of work. In almost all regards, this has meant casting aside conventional limitations and re-inventing routine procedures. longer restoration life, better appearance , wider application of materials, higher return, and fewer problems requiring follow-up appointments/re-treatment, which are profit and reputation-killing.

People do not trust you if your work fails quickly, looks bad, is perceived as very expensive or hurts. They also do not trust you if you are shifty-eyed, evasive, and always trying to up-sell them towards expensive treatment, implying that you do not recognize the sacrifices patients make to shoulder high costs.

I generally dislike people who brag, but I have been teaching my methods for 20 years and in the hands of others, they find the same success. None of my methods are personal, idiosyncratic, or based on vanity. Come aboard and decide for yourself. Where there is a scientific base, I bring that forward. Where there is clinical expertise, I explain its origin, the specifics of using it and the brackets outside of which you need a different method.

PATIENT COMFORT-A WINNING AND LOSING CRITERIA

The path to excellent dentistry  means fine preparations and long-lived restorations. Nothing sidetracks excellent dentistry more than patient pain or injury during a procedure. Few patients sign on to the idea that pain is necessary for great dentistry. If pain was present, few refer their friends, and post-operative problems with a restoration attract black clouds around your care.

We inflict psychic pain if we demean their dental deficiencies and blame them for poor outcomes.  We also can offend their person, race, religion, or gender.

Biocompatible handling of  all tissues with afferent nerves- dentin, pulp, gingiva, periosteum are necessary for post-operative pain. Peripherally, tongue, lips, mucosa , muscles of mastication, TMJ, vascular bundles and innervation  all need respect.

As dentists we have powerful weapons;  the drill, the needle, the sharp instruments , the fee, the diagnosis, the communication. The patient has fewer weapons- the power to smear your reputation, lodge a complaint to your regulatory body, or sue you.

For more material on comfort-based technique, see:

ISOLATION

Isolation is also a dimension of comfort if saliva or handpiece water mount up to threaten the airway and incite gagging.