Show #266 Airing: August 8th, 2004
Quick. When I say “dentist,” you say? What comes to our mind? Sorry, Dr. Marsh, but my guess is our audience didn’t think of words like happy and fun. If the words that came to your mind were more like terrified and pain, then this segment is especially for you. With today’s tools and techniques, pain truly does not have to be part of your dental vocabulary. Here to explain is Dr. Steven Marsh and a patient, Fred Wisen.
Question: We know that people sometimes avoid going to the dentist. Why?
Answer: Some people just have a phobia. Most of the time, the phobia has st arted with a bad experience at the dentist, often surrounding pain. Dentistry today, however, does not have to be painful.
The main key is to re-establish trust between the patient and the dentist.
Question: Fred, you had stayed away from the dentist for 18 years? Why? Why did you decide to make a call and go visit Dr. Marsh?
Answer: I had been away for the dentist for 18 years. At that time I had a tooth extraction. My last visit before that was another 10 years back for another tooth extraction.
As a child, I had had a bad experience with the dentist and had a terrible phobia as a result.
I own my own business and am in sales. I felt that my teeth were beginning to affect how I was doing my job. I also have a conference coming up this fall and wanted to look my best for it.
I’ve talked to dentists over the years, and never felt comfortable enough to go ahead with the procedures. Dr. Marsh was actually my second opinion—I found his name on the internet and came in. We talked about what needed to be done and worked slowly to achieve it.
Question: If someone is coming back to the dentist after a long absence, how do you walk them through their return?
Answer: Again, the first thing you want to do is to re-establish the trust between the dentist and the patient. Fred came in, sat down, and we talked for awhile about why he hadn’t had dental care for many years, why he wanted it now, etc.
We took x-rays, photos, impressions of the teeth to make models, and did a thorough exam. Before picture
I then put together a treatment plan to meet the goals Fred had.
Question: What did you do to Fred’s teeth?
Answer: The first appointment was to get Fred used to going to the dentist again. We worked on some of the smaller fillings, and actually used valium to make Fred more comfortable.
Next appointment: some of the teeth were rotted beyond repair and had to be removed, eventually to be replaced by crowns. While the crowns were being created, we gave Fred some temporary teeth.
Then we used bridges and crowns to complete the upper teeth. We often work on the upper teeth first to establish the bite. Also, since Fred wanted an improved smile for the trade show, it made sense to work on the top first. After picture
We are not done—Fred is a work in progress. We’ve reshaped the bottom teeth, but there’s more work to do.
Question: Fred, how was your return experience? How do you like the results?
Answer: It’s incredible to see the difference from before and after. I had major work, and I never once felt any pain from anything. It’s unbelievable. Both my daughters and my wife are starting to have work done too.
You heard it straight from the horse’s mouth. Oops, I mean the patient’s mouth. Dental work today can be painless, while working wonders. For more information about 21 st century dentistry, call the number that’s up next. My thanks to Dr. Steven Marsh, and a wise Fred Wisen.
